“I think we might have overdone it last night.”
All three of Jadis yawned in response to Aila’s softly spoken comment. Based on her foggy brain and general weariness, she had to agree with the arcanist’s assessment. Last night had been an obscene whirlwind of lewd acts, almost all of which had been necessary for the purposes of keeping up their sex rituals. They had gone on for hours, even with Jadis’ liberal use of her ritual time reduction skill, which unfortunately had resulted in less sleep than Jadis would have preferred.
Not that she was complaining. The fucking had been fun and a welcome bit of stress relief. Additionally, Jadis saw it as a way to keep the bond between her and her companions strong. They had also managed to redo Eir’s Protection of the D ritual, as well as a refresh of both Jadis’ and Bridget’s Stoke the Ardent Flame. Keeping their buffs active was an important maintenance activity, regardless of any lewd fringe benefits.
Sorcha’s jaw had dropped to the floor after those displays. Her spectator’s view on the whole debauched night had left the goblin wide-eyed and perhaps a bit fearful. Horny and curious, too, but Jadis could sense the trepidation coming from Sorcha’s nervous glances after the show. Jadis planned on having a direct talk with the witch concerning the whole situation, particularly about how while she planned on petitioning to have her turned over to Fortune’s Favored as a ward for the duration of her sentence, she absolutely was not expecting the goblin to join in on their sex rituals simply because she would be working for her. Her participation was strictly optional and entirely up to Sorcha’s interest or lack thereof.
That important conversation would have to wait until later, though. After the long night of messy fornication, plus a prolonged bout of washing to get everyone clean again, the group had gone to bed and woken the next morning with barely any time to spare. Upon waking, Jadis and her companions had to rush to get all of their things packed. That day they were leaving the grove.
“Again I must express my undying gratitude to all of you for the service you have given us,” Yorath loudly thanked the assembled expedition. “Without your timely assistance, we doubtlessly would have fallen prey to the host of Samleos’ spawn that had beset our grove. Your assistance was invaluable and can never be adequately repaid. Thank you.”
Elder Yorath and the rest of the Dryads, at least those that weren’t planted in the earth, bowed low in a show of gratitude and respect. It was somewhat uncomfortable for Jadis, at least in the formality of the occasion. The elder had lined up with his family and had turned the expedition’s departure into an event. Not that Jadis didn’t appreciate the thanks, but the very public thanks did make her feel a little awkward in that she wasn’t entirely sure how she should speak or act. She wasn’t even sure she was standing appropriately.
Captain Willa and her soldiers were all dressed in their full armor and were standing at military attention. Even the usually easygoing Nora was locked in place like a statue. The Roiling Reavers weren’t quite as precise, but they too had lined up in a double row and were standing at attention as well. Some looked surly, especially with the chains and manacles locked onto their wrists, but others had hopeful expressions. Stavros, however, was as impassive as always. The man really had a stone’s idea of expressiveness.
Jadis’ own mercenary company was somewhat less organized. They were standing in less of a line and more of a loose row. Most of her companions weren’t military after all, and neither was she for that matter. Thea was the only one with any true soldiering training and while she was standing at attention, she hadn’t lined up the same way as the soldiers and had instead taken a stance that more closely aligned her with the rest of Fortune’s Favored. That detail did not escape Jadis’ notice or appreciation.
Something Jadis also noticed was that both Noll and Jack in the form of another therion stood together. The pair had been spending a lot of time talking for the past few days. Jadis had no idea about what since their conversations were hushed and private, but whatever the two were discussing involved no few glances in Jadis’ direction. She planned on confronting one or both on the matter but put the questions as low priority. Chances were good neither would reveal the full contents of their conversations, especially if they in some way involved her.
So, not knowing exactly what to do with her hands, Jadis practiced an outward appearance of calm confidence as she kept her helmets under her arms and her two remaining weapons settled with their heads on the ground. She made sure to keep an eye on what the others were doing and did her best to mimic anything they said or did as Yorath continued with his ceremony.
It wasn’t all just speeches and gestures, though. Once Yorath had finished leading the Dryads in a prayer to Villthyrial that was meant to bless the assembled expedition, he proceeded to give the various parties gifts.
Captain Willa and her soldiers were given a large chest that was filled with various potions and tinctures that the Dryads had crafted. The number and quality of the potions would help to ensure the safety of her small squad for years to come, or at least through the remainder of the demonic invasion. Each soldier was also given a small pouch filled with sparkling gemstones. Not eleria from what Jadis could see when Jaxton discreetly retrieved one of the gems from the pouch he’d been given and held it up to the light, but instead emeralds and sapphires, enough that Jadis was certain their future retirements were secure. Willa herself was awarded a ceremonial shield that one of the Dryad’s had crafted for her. While Jadis was sure that Willa wouldn’t use it since she was dutifully bound to use the standard equipment of the Empire, the shield was beautifully made and looked like it was worth a lot of coin, if she were so inclined to sell it.
The Dryads also gave a gift to the Reavers, though it came in a different form. Yorath passed a bound scroll to captain Willa, one that he assured Stavros and his men contained his recommendation to the Magistrate that they be given leniency due to their service to the Dryads, as well as an invitation to remand any or all of the Reavers to his grove for the duration of their sentences. He would personally guarantee their safety so long as they vowed to follow their laws.
When it came time to present gifts to Fortune’s Favored, Yorath was far more personal in the presents that he gave.
To Aila he gave a new staff. The wood had been grown specifically for the purpose of becoming a magical staff, its shape coming from years of tending rather than a crafter’s blade. The red, polished wood was as tall as Aila and the upper third of the staff was lined with a twisting pattern of runic symbols that had been grown into the material, rather than carved. The tip was branched out and wrapped around a large shard of eleria that was eight inches in size, definitely the largest piece of the valuable crystal that Jadis had ever seen. By Aila’s wide-eyed stare, it was probably the biggest piece she’d ever seen either.
“The enchantments grown into this staff will decrease the cost of any spell you cast by ten percent,” Yorath explained as Aila reverently took the magical staff from his hands. “It will also allow you to overcharge a single spell once a day, effectively doubling the power of that one spell’s effects. Keep in mind that it does not work on rituals, nor does it work on spells that are channeled. I am certain you will be judicious in its use.”
Eir’s gift was a new set of robes to replace the ones that had been damaged by the wyvern. Like her original set, they were armored robes that emphasized protection, but unlike the previous ones these robes had wood plates lining the thick cloth rather than metal. The robes had been dyed white and red, but they had also been embellished with beautiful patterns of purple and gold along the trim and edges. An enchantment had been worked into the equipment that would increase the wearer’s Fortitude and Resilience as well as the overall toughness of the equipment. They had also been worked to hold a charge of magic inside them that, when activated, would send a wide blast of magic around the wearer, knocking back anything close with a great deal of force. The effect had to be charged with Eir’s own magic at the cost of fifty points of her reserve, but once charged the spell would last indefinitely until activated. The robes clearly hadn’t been made by the Dryads specifically for the occasion, and by their general shape and how well they fit Eir’s small frame, probably hadn’t been made for Dryads at all. There was a story behind the robes, one that Jadis hoped would be told at a later date.
Kerr received a far less showy piece of new equipment, but one that Jadis was sure the archer would put to good use. A pair of leather boots, trimmed with soft black fur. The footwear had been enchanted to be supernaturally sturdy and resistant to environmental damage, as well as warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The best enchantment put on them though was the climbing spell. Once per day, Kerr could activate the enchantment on them and they would allow her to walk up vertical surfaces with as much ease as a flat one. She would even be able to walk upside down on a ceiling without falling off. The wall-walking effect would only last for ten minutes, but it was more than enough time to easily scale a sheer cliff face or any other tall surface that she might need to climb for a better vantage point. The enchanted boots wouldn’t even need a spell caster to recharge them: the effects were permanent.
Thea was given a new spear to replace the plain one she had been using since her time in the army. Jadis doubted the finely serrated metal head of the long spear had been crafted by the Dryads considering the almost complete lack of metals she’d seen in the grove, but the shaft of the weapon was made of a strangely dark, almost black wood and was laced with the kind of runes carved on Aila’s staff. The weapon had been enchanted to withstand far beyond the amount of pressure that a normal piece of wood could handle without breaking and was also resistant to practically all forms of fire damage; the spear could not be burned. The weapon had been given an enchantment that turned the serrated blade of the spear toxic, each attack pouring a poison into the target that would slowly sap away both their health and stamina. For a primarily defensive fighter like Thea, the debuffing toxin was an ideal fit, even if the cruelty of such a weapon ran counter to the shy woman’s meek nature.
Sabina’s gift was nothing pre-made. Instead, the Dryad’s gave her a veritable mountain of crafting supplies. She’d already received bags of plant and herb materials that could be used for crafting, but she was additionally given three chests filled with even more supplies. The first held a variety of horns, claws, skins, and scales that had been sourced from magic beasts, some of which not even Aila or Kerr could readily identify. The second chest was smaller than the other two, but far more valuable than the first. It was filled with eleria crystals, enough that the enchanter smith probably wouldn’t need to buy more of the vital material for a long, long time. The third chest didn’t seem that impressive at first, though Jadis’ opinion quickly changed. The large box held more scales, all of them exceptionally large. Some were dark gray like slate while others were the color of winter ice.
“From Vetregin,” Carys had explained when she’d held open the lid for a practically vibrating Sabina. “With his blessing. Though the impression I got from him was that if any wearing these scales were to raise a blade against him, he would not be pleased.”
While Sabina hugged the bemused Dryad, babbling nearly incoherently about all the things she could make with dragon scales, Yorath gave Bridget her gift.
Bridget was bestowed a new lantern to replace the one she had as the head of her flail polearm. The lantern was made of black iron, octagonal in shape and half-again larger than the flail head Bridget already possessed. It had no glass to its faces but instead a latticework of thin iron rods laced in intricate patterns. Most interestingly, there was already a flame burning inside the lantern, one that did not seem to have any fuel source.
“This was never intended to be a weapon,” Yorath said as he passed the lantern to Bridget. “But it is crafted to be far stronger than it seems. The flame burning inside it will never go out, not even when submerged under water. If you pull on this part here though,” he pointed out a small, cleverly hidden lever, “you can shutter the flame on each individual face. Hopefully you can put this item to better use than its previous owner.”
“What happened to the previous owner?” Bridget asked as she examined the glowing lantern.
Yorath smiled gently, though a hard glint appeared in his eyes.
“Not everyone who seeks out a Dryad grove does so with good intentions.”
While Bridget thought about the implications of that statement, Olwyn came up from behind Yorath and presented Bridget with a second item to pair with the first. A finely woven decorated bracelet that looked like it would wrap fully around Bridget’s upper arm. The enchantment in the bracelet would protect the wearer from fire damage, or so Olwyn explained. The damage done by flames would be decreased by a quarter and, more importantly, the wearer could not be set on fire. Any persistent flames would either die or fall off if they were applied to her, though the strength of the enchantment could be overpowered by a strong enough magic.
“And of course, we have a gift for you as well, Jadis,” Yorath said as he approached her with a broad smile. “In truth, we have three for you. Considering your unique nature, it felt only appropriate.”
“Thank you,” Jay said, bowing her head to the elder Dryad. “I want to say that it isn’t necessary, but I have to admit seeing all the awesome magic items you’re giving to my friends has kind of gotten me excited.”
Yorath laughed, his smile growing as he ran a hand through his beard.
“I have no doubt! Who doesn’t like to receive presents? Especially ones like these.”
Walking up beside the old Dryad, Carys carried a large blue stone about the size of a basketball. It was irregular in shape and had deep grooves cut into the surface, almost as though something large had clawed it. Syd took the stone from Carys’ hands since she had no weapon to hold onto.
“What is it?” Syd asked, looking the strange rock over. It didn’t seem particularly special, or even enchanted.
“It is a marker,” Carys explained with a twinkle in her eyes. “Of a sort rarely seen. With it, you may ask one boon of Vetregin. Any one favor. Dragons do not give out such markers lightly and in a certain sense it is a dangerous responsibility to carry one. You must be careful not to insult the dragon with your request, or the gift can easily turn against you. However, with this marker you can ask for a service of Vetregin, should you desire. Or, if you make your way to his lair, you could use it in trade for an item from his hoard. A dragon as old and venerable as he possesses many great treasures that you might find to be of value.”
Syd stared dumbly at the rock held in the palm of her hand. The possibilities that Carys had just suggested were, frankly, a little too much for Jadis to fully process considering her sleep-deprived state. She quietly thanked the Dryad for the gift as her mind slowly began to buzz more and more with ideas of just what she could do with a single favor from the colossal ice dragon.
“Your next gift suits your nature as the leader of a mercenary company,” Yorath announced, recapturing Jadis’ attention. “Being a leader entails certain responsibilities, which this meager offering will hopefully aid you with.”
Another chest was brought out, this one small but heavily constructed with thick iron bands around it. Dys took the strongbox and, opening the lid, was greeted by the sight of glittering gold. The chest was filled with coins, most of them gold, though maybe a third of them were silver. The actual value of the coins was incalculable to Jadis. She had only a tenuous grasp on imperial pricing and what coins were worth what, but the sheer amount of valuable metal in the box boggled the mind.
“You will have to trade those in for Imperial coin,” Yorath advised with a knowing smile. “They were minted in a kingdom far from here. But I doubt you will have much trouble.”
“Uh, no, yeah, I doubt that too,” Dys murmured as she slowly closed the lid on the box. “Thank you very, very, very much.”
“Don’t waste all of your thanks just yet,” the jovial voice of Tegwyn called out. “There’s one final gift we have to give!”
Jadis had noted that Tegwyn had slipped away at some point during the ceremony, though she hadn’t seen where he had gone. Now, she saw him walking towards the gathering from the far side of the open grassy area. With him ambled four large forms, each one docilely following behind the grinning Dryad.
“I found these four fellows for you yesterday. So long as you take good care of them, you will have no further need to pull your own oversized wagon. As they are magic beasts, they are more than suited to the task.”
Jadis stared at Tegwyn, the grinning man surrounded on either side by the four huge mountain goats he’d apparently tamed just for her. Each one was just as large as the form that Tegwyn himself could take, though rather than being made of wood and moss, these goats were flesh and blood. Their white fur was dappled with dark gray spots along their flanks and a mohawk of longer fur stood up along their powerful shoulders and backs. Their brown goat eyes watched Jadis impassively.
“You… got me goats?” Jay finally said, her eyes flickering between the huge animals and Tegwyn.
“For your wagon, yes,” he nodded happily. “It hardly seems appropriate that a glorious warrior such as yourself should have to pull her own wagon around. So I have arranged for these four to do the job for you. Now, feel free to shower me with thanks. You are welcome.”
“I, uh… thanks Tegwyn,” Jay finally said as she frowned at the big goats. “I’ve never taken care of goats before, magic or otherwise, but if these big guys can actually handle the wagon, then I really am thankful.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Tegwyn said. “It will be no trouble to show you how to properly care for them. We’ll have plenty of time on the road, I am sure.”
Jay nodded, then froze.
“On the road?”
“Yes, of course!” Tegwyn smiled as he took a few steps forward and reached out towards Jay with a friendly hand. Holding her own out towards him on instinct, he took it in a firm handshake. “I have decided to take your advice on getting out into the world and will be joining you on your trip to Far Felsen. Perhaps if the life suits me, I may even decide to join a mercenary company for a time!”
Well. He wasn’t exactly what she had been expecting, but one small worry was soothed by Tegwyn’s suggestion that he would join Fortune’s Favored. She did need to recruit a couple more members for the guild, and if she was going to recruit anyone, why not a powerful Dryad who could turn into a giant goat?
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