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The Big Oof! Volume 2 Chapter 61: Escort Mission
🕑 Added 2023-09-20 17:30:16 +0000 UTCWhen the moon claimed its rightful place in the starlit sky, it cast a dim, yet ethereal glow over the city, signaling to those who lurked in the shadows to commence their nightly endeavors. This wasn't just a summon for the less savory individuals and creatures; it also was a beckoning to those like Elijah and Bennett. As the city's hustle and bustle gradually muted into hushed whispers, the two humans made their way back outside and started to prepare for their new job.
“Think we gotta look for fuckers on the roofs?” Bennett asked, stretching back out and cringing at the subsequent cracks.
"Wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out," Elijah admitted in his usual laid-back demeanor. “I think it’s the alleyways that are really going to be a problem, though. They're perfect for an ambush.”
As they spoke, the door to the shop swung open, and Laza, along with a small group of her personal guards, emerged into the muted glow of the moonlit cityscape. They were carrying a large chest, its contents hidden from view but undoubtedly valuable.
Azeline, who had been leaning against a nearby wall, pushed herself off and sauntered over to them. The flicker of anticipation in her eyes was unmistakable. "Looks like they’re just about ready, boys," she drawled, pushing herself off the wall and striding over to where Elijah and Bennett were standing.
Elijah watched as Laza and her guards made their way over to a waiting carriage, their steps labored and calculated due to the sheer weight of the valuable cargo they were handling. But as he moved to assist them, he paused in his tracks. Emerging from the nearby stable, two additional guards led a pair of creatures that Elijah had not expected to see in this world. He stood rooted to the spot, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Horses?" he found himself blurting out, turning his astonished gaze towards Bennett. "Are those fucking HORSES?"
Bennett, who had been distracted by securing his own gear, gave Elijah an incredulous look at his outburst. He was about to retort with a drill into the man with a sarcastic comment about his sanity, when he followed the direction of his gaze. His eyes widened as he took in the sight. "What the..." Bennett muttered, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Why… ?"
The duo exchanged a baffled glance, both of them trying to process this peculiar sight. They were adventurers from a modern earth dimension, used to skyscrapers and motor vehicles, not equine transportation. In a world filled with magic and strange creatures, horses were an oddity they hadn't expected.
From her place by the carriage, a light and playful chuckle spilled from Azeline’s lips as she took in their flabbergasted expressions. "I'm aware that they're a bit of a luxury here, but really? Are you two THAT surprised to see horses?" she asked, her tone laced with gentle ribbing
The sound of a soft, feminine giggle joined the mix as Laza approached them. Her eyes sparkled with a warm, amused light under the soft glow of the moon. "Well, I can't deny that horses are a rather rare sight in these lands," she admitted, her gaze flitting between the trio, eventually settling on Elijah with a warm, affectionate gaze. "But I would have thought you've seen far stranger things in your adventures, haven't you, Sir Elijah?"
Her use of his name certainly didn't go unnoticed by his companions. Elijah, taken aback by her directness, managed a small chuckle in response, "Well, Laza, you could say that. It's just... we hail from distant lands that are rarely tread upon, so seeing something as... familiar as horses was unexpected."
Laza's smile retained its warmth as she gently nodded in understanding, "I see. When you're constantly surrounded by the extraordinary, it's the mundane that can sometimes catch you off guard, isn't it?"
At this, both Bennett and Azeline shot each other a knowing glance, their eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Alright, so how are we going to do this?" Bennett finally decided that he wasn’t going to tolerate sitting around and listening to Elijah flirt with another woman. He could be doing other things, like learning magic or hell, counting rocks. Anything other than watching his captain lay it on thick with a client.
"Best bet is to have me and Ben at the front while the guards flank the Carriage, reinforcing which side needs the help most." Elijah suggested, giving the horses a wide breath as they approached. "Aze, walk with the carriage and make sure you keep Laza and the good safe. Don’t take any chances with anyone that looks shifty and if they don’t fuck off, gut ‘em"
Azeline nodded at Elijah's instructions, her eyes alight with anticipation and readiness. She moved towards the back of the procession, her posture tense yet graceful, like a panther ready to pounce.
Elijah then paused for a moment as he brought his hand to his chin. “Wait… Is that considered assault or murder? What are the laws like here?” He said, looking towards Laza for clarification.
Laza blinked in surprise before giving her explanation. "Ah, when hiring freelancers in an official capacity, the client assumes all responsibility and in this case, the guards would deem it self defense.”
"Nice!" Elijah said happily, pointing a finger gun at the merchant and giving her a wink. "That simplifies things quite a bit!”
A surprised look formed on Laza’s face as she tilted her head at the action. “Well, um… I'm glad to hear that," she responded, the corners of her lips tugging upwards into an awkward but warm smile. She found Elijah's easy-going nature rather endearing.
Bennett, meanwhile, rolled his eyes at their interaction. "We can review local laws later," he grumbled, taking a step towards the carriage. "Can we just get this over with, please?."
"Suuuuuure, Bennie-boy." Elijah replied in a somewhat miffed tone as he walked past the engineer. “Always gotta be a cockblock." He grumbled.
Shooting a glance at Elijah that could only be described as unimpressed, Bennett simply scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. "Well maybe you should stop trying to fuck everything that isn’t tied down, or atleast do it when I’m not here." he retorted, walking to his position.
Ignoring the comment, Elijah took his place ahead of the carriage. The planned route for their convoy had been discussed in detail with Laza and was imprinted on his mind. He decided his role would be to scout ahead, sniffing out any potential ambushes so the convoy was good and ready when they hit it.
But, before they could get too far away from the carriage Azeline gave the two men a look of derision from over her shoulder. “You two done squabbling?” she called out, placing her hands on her hips. “Or should I let Laza know that her cargo is in the hands of bickering children?”
With a grumble and a shake of their heads, the two men chose not to dignify the woman with a response and promptly got to work.
"Alright, keep the chatter to a minimum," Elijah’s voice erupted from within Azeline’s pocket. The sudden intrusion of Elijah's voice startled the two women causing Laza in particular to let out a small yelp.
Azeline fumbled with the folds of her leather jerkin before retrieving a small, flat device. The shiny metallic object seemed incredibly out of place amongst the dust and dirt of the city streets.
"Elijah, how in the endless hells do I use this?" Azeline grumbled, the datapad now held firmly in her grasp. Despite her confusion, her eyes still squinted at the hand sized device.
"You forgot we gave you the datapad, didn't you?" Elijah's exasperated voice resounded over the network, causing Bennett to let out an exhausted sigh.
Meanwhile, Laza's eyes twinkled with curiosity as she observed the exchange. A small, secretive smile curved her lips, hidden in the shadows. She had seen similar devices circulating through the most elite circles of mages, who probed and prodded them in attempts to unravel their arcane secrets. Yet here was a group of freelancers, utilizing the mysterious magical tool with an ease that suggested it was no more extraordinary than a common tool.
Taken aback, Azeline blinked in surprise, holding the thin, flat device gingerly. She tentatively began to press her fingers against its cool surface, mimicking the movements she'd observed Elijah and Bennett making when they used it. But when she accidentally activated the device, the soft glow emitting from its screen took her by surprise, casting an eerie blue light onto her face. She stared at the datapad with a mix of apprehension and bewilderment, treating it as though it were some unpredictable creature she didn't quite know how to handle.
“Jesus Christ, just put it back into your pocket fucking speak into it.” Bennett snarled as he turned around.
A flustered look overcame Azeline as she let out a frustrated growl. Bennett's gruffness didn't do much to alleviate her discomfort while the northern Aethari woman tilted her head from side to side trying to make heads or tails of the thing. Holding the device at a respectable distance, Azeline looked as if she was afraid of the thing, before tentatively speaking into it.
"H-Hello? Eli? Are you in here?" A hesitant voice resounded as Azeline nervously stared at the bright lock screen. Whatever sorcery was locked in this piece of glass and metal was beyond her, but she swallowed her discomfort. After all, they were relying on this to communicate.
A sigh was heard from Bennett followed by a series of grumbling until Elijah’s voice erupted from the strange thin brick. "No, Aze," Elijah’s voice held a hint of amusement. "You're not going to see me in there. Just speak like you would into a... hmm, imagine you're speaking to a tiny person who can carry your voice to us. That's all."
Suddenly, Laza's breath hitched in amazement as she watched Azeline communicating through the strange device. She was from a world where magic was part of everyday life, but this... this was entirely different. This was not a charm or a spell, this was a device that enabled instant communication, no obvious signs of mana usage or incantations required.
"Fascinating..." she murmured, her eyes alight with curiosity. "Truly, most fascinating… Could it possibly house a mana containment stone? And how exactly are you operating such a tool?"
Caught off guard by Laza's inquiries, Azeline could only respond with a puzzled shrug. Her grasp on the mechanics of this technology was limited at best. But before the silence could stretch too far, Elijah's voice broke through from the device. “Magic.” His voice held an air of dismissiveness that silenced any further questions.
While Laza seemed intrigued and eager to learn, Elijah was not particularly inclined to share information freely. Instead, his focus was firmly set on their immediate task – ensuring the safety and successful transportation of Laza and her goods and any discussions about his world and its technologies were not something to be given away for free. They were commodities that had their own value and only to be sold to further their interests.
"Enough about that," Elijah's voice once again echoed from the datapad, bringing their focus back to the immediate task at hand. "Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"
With whip and a neigh, the convoy slowly started to edge forward as the horse’s hooves clopped against the cobblestone streets. Bennett leisurely took up his position several dozens of meters ahead of the convoy and scanned the rooftops for any signs of trouble. Elijah, on the other hand, melted into the dense veil of the night, his silhouette barely distinguishable from the inky darkness. The sound of his footsteps was muffled, blending seamlessly into the city's nocturnal symphony.
In contrast, Azeline scratched her head as she put the datapad back into her pocket and took up her place right next to the carriage. She looked over towards Laza and saw that the merchant woman had anxiety written all over her face.
“Are you sure things are going to be alright…? We’ve always been warned to avoid traveling at night whenever possible…” Laza glanced nervously towards Azeline. The ambient city noise seemed to grow quieter as she voiced her concern with a slight tremble.
She remembered the stories the guild would use to scare prospects away from traveling at night. To be killed would have been a mercy…
Meeting her gaze, Azeline offered a reassuring smile, striding alongside the carriage with a natural, predatory grace that was both comforting and intimidating. "Ya, I get it," she said calmly. "But these idiots can literally see in the dark. As they say…’Night time is the right time.’ or whatever demented rhyme those weirdos came up with."
Laza couldn’t help but stare at her as if she lost her mind. “Night time… is the right time…?” She voiced the saying with an apprehensive look. “Surely you jest. Now being outside of the monsters that lurk the forest can see in the dark.”
"Ah, but there's where you're wrong," Azeline playfully countered, wagging her finger for emphasis. "The beasts of the night are no longer the terrors of the night!" She offered a knowing smile, adding, "These two are like specters in the darkness. Snatching souls—be they beast or man—as effortlessly as if they were simply plucking fruit from a tree."
Despite the chilling metaphor, Azeline's nonchalance provided a strange sense of comfort. She trusted her companions implicitly and seemed to have no doubt they'd handle whatever threats came their way. Laza had no choice but to put her faith in them too. She settled back into the carriage, wrapping her cloak tightly around her as a chill ran down her spine.
"Beings of shadow that claim souls, wielding arcane technologies as if they were mundane trinkets..." Laza echoed quietly, her gaze distant. "These tales sound like the aggrandized legends that the Temple would preach about the Old Gods..."
Unseen by Azeline and Laza, Elijah was a phantom navigating the night, each step and breath as quiet as the falling of a feather. Every nook and cranny, every possible threat was under his watchful gaze. Darkness was not a veil to him but his realm; it offered him a sense of control and comfort. His eyes, gifted with tools of an advanced society, pierced the veil of the night and painted a detailed image that no ordinary being’s vision could even comprehend. This innate advantage, a testament to his unique capabilities, granted him an edge and offered him a sense of dominance within the cover of darkness.
This was his world.
Within this world of shadows, he spied two figures - one bearing the brutish form of a feline-like werewolf, the a thuggish Aethari that looked to have more scars than he did brains.
"Finally, the merchants are coming," the elf spoke, his voice a melodious whisper against the night's silence. His beastly companion, however, appeared less pleased, grumbling about the hours they'd spent waiting.
"Them trying to make a deposit in the dead of night... they must be absolute fools," the beast-man growled, the aggravation clear in his voice. The Aethari responded with a swift nod, “I seen the girlie too, we’ll have our fun.” He said before preparing to slink away and alert their ambush team. Yet, before he could melt back into the shadows, he paused, when he saw his feline friend sense something in the air.
It was the last thing he'd sense.
Seizing the perfect moment, Elijah moved like a wraith, silently swooping in and claiming the club the beast-man had carelessly left propped against the wall. With a swift, brutal swing, he shattered the feline's kneecap. The suddenness of the action and the sharp, immediate pain elicited a surprised yelp from the beast as it crumpled to the ground.
Elijah, without skipping a beat, spun on his heel, utilizing his momentum to swing the club upwards into the Aethari's skull. The impact was punctuated by a sickening crunch, and the elf's body slumped, lifeless, crumpling face-first against the cold stone wall.
However, the feline was still conscious, and it attempted to sound the alarm. Elijah was quicker. He moved like a shadow, shoving the rough wood of the club between its bared teeth, effectively stifling its desperate cry for help. "Shhhhhhh, quiet now. You don’t want to meet the end just yet, do you?” Elijah warned in a calm, mockingly singsong voice that carried over the creature's strained whimpering.
A dark blade suddenly appeared in the cloak of night, its presence almost entirely obscured. The blackened knife pressed firmly against the feline's throat, its chilling touch a harsh reminder of impending death. A small, pitiful whimper escaped the beast as it gazed at the rivulets of blood that began to trace their way down its fur-covered neck.
As Elijah held the beast-man captive under the threat of his blade, he turned his attention towards the distance where the approaching carriage was now just a speck. His voice echoed in the stillness, a cold whisper meant only for his captive's ears. "Now, my friend, you're going to behave, aren't you?"
The beast-man didn't dare move, his breath coming out in short, terrified gasps that made the fur on his chest flutter. The painful throb of his shattered kneecap, a horrible reminder of the brutal strength of this man sitting on top of him. His eyes widened as he nodded, a clear agreement to Elijah's command.
“Good, good boy.” Elijah smiled and patted the feline’s head. The human then leaned in close and spoke in a quiet murmur, "Now, if you tell me where all your friends are, you’ll get to live to see another day.”
Shifting his eyes over to the right, the creature gulped heavily when he saw his partner’s lifeless gaze staring at him. The Aethari man crumpled against the cold, stone wall as blood poured from the wound at his head.
Elijah noticed the creature's terrified gaze and followed it. He glanced at the thug's dead partner before turning back to his victim with an expectant expression. His seemingly harmless smile had morphed into a cold, predatory grin as the feline nodded enthusiastically.
"Sensible choice," Elijah commended, his words barely louder than a whisper. “Now start talking.”
All it took was a brief exchange for Elijah to get all the information he needed. A grim satisfaction filled him as he rose, keeping his blade pressed to the creature's throat. "Stay and keep quiet," he commanded, his voice a quiet rasp that echoed in the dim alleyway. “Someone will come for you soon.”
As he slipped back into the shadows, the ghost of his previous smile lingered on his lips, a stark contrast to the intense focus in his eyes. He was going to enjoy this hunt.
Simultaneously, a few blocks behind, Bennett maintained his solitary watch. He sauntered over down the road in a lazy manner when suddenly, the network crackled to life.
“Hey dip-ass, I bagged one. Come scoop him up.” Elijah’s voice echoed behind Bennett as well. Looking over his shoulder, the engineer saw the Azeline was in a state of confusion as she clutched at the datapad in her pocket.
Shaking his head, Bennett grumbled under his breath. "I swear, it’s like I’m a goddamn errand boy…" he muttered, his tone laced with dry exasperation as he shifted over to the alley way that was designated.
He gave one last glance towards the convoy and saw that Azeline and Laza were still flustered and confused at what to do as they spoke nonsense into the device. “Relax, I got it” He spoke to the two women before turning away.
Azeline responded with a nod as she sighed in relief. She was already completely overwhelmed by having to carry what she believed was a priceless magical tool, and the sudden appearance of trouble did little to help her nerves.
However, it seemed that it was already being handled. “Well, I guess they have it under control,” Azeline shrugged as she looked over at Laza who still seemed to be reeling from the fact that voices were coming from a strange device.
“O-Oh… Is that so…?” Laza murmured, her eyes wide as she stared at Azeline with a mix of fear and fascination swirling in her gaze.
"Ya. Eli apparently found some scouts and took care of them." Azeline said, making sure the device was still secure. She offered a reassuring smile to Laza as they continued down the road. "Bennetts going to fetch the survivor, so everything should be handled.”
Laza's gaze followed Bennett as he disappeared into the distant alley, her heart pounding anxiously in her chest. She had barely sunk back into her seat when the disturbing echoes of pained screams reverberated from the direction Bennett had taken. Laza's body tensed, eyes widening in dread. Azeline reacted instantaneously, her hand darting towards the hilt of her sword as she prepared to rush into the fray.
However, she was abruptly halted by the sound of Bennett's disgruntled grumblings that echoed from the communication device tucked in her jerkin.
“Goddamn it... Lugging around fucking FURRIES now. That's just Amazing," Bennett's voice resonated through the device, his tone dripping with annoyance and mild disgust. His next words were a snarl, the words biting and filled with exasperation, "You even broke his goddamn leg. You’re a son of a bitch you know that?”
Azeline and Laza could only stare, their eyes wide and their mouths agape, as the lanky figure of Bennett appeared from the alleyway, unceremoniously dragging a pitifully yowling, cat-like creature behind him. The pained sounds of whimpering made the heavily anticipated night seem anticlimactic and almost downright comical.
"Eh, it figures," Azeline sighed, her hands sliding her blade back into its sheath with a resigned shrug. There were times when it was best to just embrace the absurdity, and this was clearly one of those moments.
Laza, however, seemed to be having a harder time wrapping her head around the situation. Her eyes remained wide, flicking back and forth between the whimpering feline creature and the nonchalant Bennett. Yet, she said nothing, her lips pressed into a thin line as she simply leaned back in her chair.
As Bennett approached with the creature, the merchant started to think that maybe tonight wasn’t going to be as suicidal as she thought. Maybe she really was in the presence of shadow demons and wraiths.
Comments
scribbles
Hmm, ya, that I could do that.
David Ellis
Those two have terrible infosec. Also, I puzzled over "dipass" for a while until I realized it's a portmanteau of dipshit and ass. Maybe "dip-ass" would make that clearer?
