Note: Well, it's been a good long time since I updated this story. For those reading, I recommend reading the previous three chapters if you're interested in the story and stuff, sex is in page 3. Even so, I'm not going to make this story heavy on the plot, it's purely for shits and gigs. Also, you may find an error or two out there because I still can't find a decent editor.
A Line of Work Ch. 4 - Illeria
"You're fine with me keeping it?"
"Oh sure, we'll probably be traveling together for who knows how long. Might as well have some sort of protection. I'm not going to let my charge have any harm done to her or else I'd lose my income! Hahaha!"
Arvad laughed heartily while Raisel stared with deadened eyes. Despite having Elven senses, she could never tell when the young mercenary was being sarcastic or not. It was almost as if decades of experience were jam-packed in the man's eyes and movements. Both his skills and words showed his years, yet not his body. Unless he was an Elf himself, Raisel could not believe such a young human could be so... For lack of a better word, amazing.
The object they were talking about was a magic gun he owned, an elemental pistol. Magic guns were actually more common than one would think; elemental guns were not. Magic guns could only fire a single type of attack, like lightning, stone, or fire. Elemental guns could fire multiple types of natural forces.
"You... Have an annoying sense of humor." Raisel deadpanned as she continued riding forth on her black mare. She intentionally sped up her horse so she could gain that little victory of being ahead of Arvad.
Arvad widened his eyes, though not out of surprise, and blinked several times in succession. He reached down in a small pouch kept at arm's reach on his horse, and pulled out a small piece of dried fruit. He didn't eat it himself. Instead, he whistled and waited until his pet Morningflower Bat, Ouro, to perch on his shoulder. Arvad then aimed the piece of fruit at Raisel and tossed it quietly.
The fruit stealthily landed in a crease among Raisel's cloths, without her knowledge. Arvad snickered inaudibly as Ouro homed in on the fruit and attacked it with surgical precision. The mercenary couldn't contain his jovial sounds as he burst out laughing when Ouro attached himself to Raisel's right shoulder and gnashed at the fruit.
Raisel did not expect the incoming bat and shrieked out surprise. She flailed her arms around, trying to swat at the attacker. With her reaction, you would think she was being attacked by a horde of baby wyverns.
Ouro, through much difficulty, finally acquired the prize and flew back to Arvad. The bat calmly perched itself on Arvad's shoulders, eating the fruit with vigor.
The mercenary smoothed down Ouro's fur with two fingers. When he looked back up to the trail, he found himself staring down the barrel of a magic gun, his elemental pistol. "Ah... Raisel?"
"..." Raisel's eyes twitched, clearly angry from the prank. Her fingered closed down on the trigger, ready to crunch down at any time.
"Ah, there's no need for viole-WHOA!"
Raisel fired the pistol, sending a bolt of piercing water from the barrel. Arvad, although initially shocked, simply titled his head to the side, allowing the water to pass by his neck and grave the minuscule hairs.
"H-Hey, can't you take a joke? Ouro really likes you, all he did was get some fruit he saw dangling in your clothes."
Bang! Raisel fired again, this time sending a bolt of crystalized fire at Arvad. Again, the mercenary only survived by moving his head. He could read when and where the elemental gun would fire by noticing the subtle movements in Raisel's fingers and hand. A simple matter, really, for the trained.
However, Arvad noticed something peculiar- the crystalized fire. Otherwise known as frozen fire, crystalized fire had the same properties as crystal and fire itself. It burned hotter and fiercer in a frozen state more so than any bonfire you would see in a camp. He noted this because not once in his history among magic guns had he seen something firing crystalized elements.
There were mages who did specialize in spells involving crystals, but they were extremely rare, even among the magically gifted Desert Elves. It wasn't that he hadn't heard of magic guns firing crystals, there were a couple rumors here and there. It was the fact that Raisel found it so simple to do so. He had heard how Raisel fired a bolt of crystalized light at a vampire who tried to attack her back in the vampire tribe.
There was more than one objective Arvad had when the two came to the High Elf mountains: Discern Raisel's magical abilities, find a holy sword, satiate Raisel's curiosity about her people, and avoid a certain girl and her father... With the final being the most imperative.
"Face punishment."
"Ease up there, geez. It's not going to be long until we can see the High Mountains." Arvad strained his eyesight, which rivaled a hawk, at a frothy blur in the horizon.
The mercenary tightly closed his eyes and looked again, clearing the impurities that clouded his vision. He continued to stare at the blur while placating the furious Raisel. Soon, an obstacle, whether hostile or not, was apparent in the form of a group of men.
"Raisel."
All this time, Raisel was making her qualms about Arvad known by form of a whiny teenage girl. "-An immature, arrogant, and a most certainly a-"
"Raisel..."
"-Mother just had to choose you of all people-"
"Raisel... I'm being serious now."
Raisel sighed and lowered down the pistol she was shaking around violently. "Yesssssss?" She did not sound too happy to Arvad.
"It seems we have company. You should probably put on your hood, they might be slave traders looking for some easy elven prey." Arvad did indeed sound serious in a rare moment.
Raisel turned her head around in order to see what Arvad was talking about. Thanks to her Elven eyesight, she could see a group of horsemen riding towards them. Judging by their pace and outline, they were no normal horsemen. The horses' feet around the group briskly kicked up a cloud of dust.
"If they are looking for elves, then I doubt they will be deterred by my hood. My cute face and sexy features will surely entice any man!" Raisel proudly clamped both her hands down on her hips and thrust her chest outwards.
Whether that was the case or not, Arvad was given "extra" payment to not be seduced by Raisel's charms. "Well aren't we the confident model Elf. Very well then, if they are slave traders or anything else hostile... All we have to do is take care of them! I helped you with your aim, so use the pistol well and try not to shoot me."
"Maybe I should just shoot you anyways..." Raisel muttered under her breath as she moved her hand down to hide the elemental pistol.
While the Half-Elf watched the incoming riders, she turned her gaze over to Arvad for only a second to see something peculiar.
As of now, Arvad made the funniest face Raisel had ever seen. It was a cross between a husband who had been caught cheating by his wife and a clergyman cringing at one of his homophobic nightmares. As to why he was making that sight, she asked why.
"Uh... That's on a need to know basis. YOU DON'T KNOW WHO ARVAD EVERSOUL IS! I'm just your bodyguard protecting you as you travel, my name's Jyro!" Sporadic yelling and hushed up whispers were sent towards Raisel.
Immediately after his outburst, Arvad pulled his hood up and dipped his head. If Arvad spoke to anyone with that visage, they would most likely think of a mysterious and deadly murderer or assassin. All Raisel saw was a strange eccentric who sometimes had his heroic moments interwoven through his excessive sarcasm, immaturity, and occasionally susceptible behavior.
"Just what is your problem Ar-"
"SHHHH! It's Jyro, jeez. Just don't let those guys know I'm me... I recognize them and, well, just don't."
Raisel experienced a rare pleading moment from the supposed mercenary of rumors. Just who are these riders that made him so afraid? Raisel found herself pleasantly surprised.
Several more minutes elapsed once the two groups encountered each other. While Raisel and Arvad were heading towards the mountains, this group seemed to be coming in from the plains off to the side. (Perhaps they are going in the same direction as us? Maybe I can finally pay him back...)
Raisel soon found herself face to face with a group of regal looking Elves, High Elves judging by their skin and hair color. There were four of them. Two were a male and female respectively, were dressed in slim armor with gold and white hues and carrying weapons of their choice, a curved saber and a heroic looking lance. The other two, and older male and a very young looking female, seemed to be some sort of nobles. The male Elf wore fine leathers while the female wore a curve-fitting blue dress. If Raisel looked closely, the younger female Elf seemed close to her age, though it was impossible to tell with the long-lived Elven race.
The procession went with the noble Elves in front and the guards in back. The older male Elf spoke first, "Hello, Miss, my name is Nesterius Goldenpine and this is my daughter, Reimiel Goldenpine. These are our two guards, Malavorn and Faehri. How are the roads treating you and your companion?" An expected mature and courteous resounded through Raisel's ears.
It was only right that Raisel return the polite introduction with one of her own. Language lessons as a daughter of the Tessiol family showed their power here, "I am pleased to meet the four of you, please call me Raisel Tessiol. And this is my bodyguard... Um, Jyro."
Nesterius' eyes narrowed. "A Tessiol? I've heard of them. Are they not influential nobles in Dasinex? I seem to remember that the head of the family is a High Elf like I. I presume you are his daughter?"
"You presume correctly on all three accounts. Although my father is long dead."
Nesterius immediately took an apologetic tone, "I apologize. I do not have a large amount of knowledge of anything outside of our mountains. May I ask where you are headed, Miss Tessiol?"
"Well, I am heading towards your mountains. As I am the daughter of a High Elf father and a human mother, I am only a Half Elf, but I wish to know about the half of my kin I do not know much about." Raisel saw no need to lie to the Elven group before her and Arvad. They were clearly not bandits or slavers.
"Then we are headed in the same direction. I and my daughter are coming back from visiting friends in the Wood Elves' forests."
