Headed By A Snake

After Baron Tycondrius attacked their base and almost single-handedly wiped out their men, he won Gilebert"s respect. After being gifted state-of-the-art armor and a handsome battleaxe by Mister Reynard, he thought of the Baron as an angel sent from the heavens.

Per Reynard"s orders, he and his men all bathed and had their beards and hair trimmed by professionals. Walking through the streets, Gilebert was used to looks of disdain and avoidance. Walking through the city in professional garb, he instead received gazes of awe and admiration from adventurers, city watchmen, and even children.

From small-time thugs he once thought of as his peers, he received small-minded looks of envy. Gilebert could only straighten his back and stand taller because of it. He was a better man than he was only a week prior.

He knew the right thing to do in the situation with Vice-Captain Sergeant. He would risk injury and even death to protect the allies of Guild Invictus.
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Gilebert shut his eyes, waiting for the thrown bottle to hit his face. But after a moment, he hadn"t even felt a splash of old wine.

Opening his eyes, his jaw dropped seeing the enigmatic High Wizard Trayus without his hood. Two long pointed elven ears flopped past pink hair.

He held up two fingers, glowing with mana as the thrown wine-bottle, levitating ilms in front of Gilebert"s face, spun and rotated in the air.

The elven High Wizard"s eyes glowed with mana, "Slanty-eyed freak... That"s no good, Mister Sergeant."

...

Knight-Captain Daniela Lacroix grit her teeth and rolled her eyes. Thomas Sergeant had abused his authority to imprison someone he had no business offending. He had a.s.saulted a civilian and even insulted the most powerful magician in Merylsward. Thomas Sergeant"s head was jammed so far up his a.r.s.e that she couldn"t pull her Vice-Captain out even if she wanted to.

Sergeant finally ascertained that things were not going his way, "C-c-c-captain! These thugs! They-they attacked me! Gilebert was the one! That one there!"

Daniela examined Sergeant"s so-called "thugs." Trimmed beards. Neat haircuts. Orderly armor. Then she looked at her undressed Vice-Captain wearing a blood-stained unders.h.i.+rt and living in filth. For a moment, she questioned whether her Vice-Captain was Thomas or the adventurer, Gilebert.

She rested both hands on her hips, "Mister Gilebert, does Mister Sergeant speak ze truth?"

The bearded man shuffled his feet in nervousness, "(Perhaps... Mister Sergeant fell down?)"

In a flash of mana, a wine bottle smashed into Sergeant"s face hard enough to shatter the gla.s.s. Sergeant crumpled to the floor, scattering trash everywhere. Trayus nodded, quite pleased with himself, "It appears the Vice-Captain has slipped and fallen."

"I saw it too!" The blonde woman cheered loudly before being overcome by a fit of giggling.

The armored adventurers murmured in agreement.

Even Cyrille looked back, "I hadn"t seen when Mister Sergeant injured himself, but the man does seem p.r.o.ne to self-injury."

Gilebert"s face grinned in a jolly smile, "How clumsy of Monsieur Sergeant... Would Madame be averse to our helping him go... eh... how you say-- (down the stairs?)"

Knight-Captain Daniela nodded, "That would be wonderful, Monsieur Gilebert. I would request your professional a.s.sistance in bringing my former Vice-Capitaine to ze Headquarters."

...

It was a nice day in Merylsward. The late winter chill was tolerable. The birds sang. Pale had taken Taree out to a restaurant that specialized in dishes from the Holy Country.

"Hey, hey." Taree was trying to get Pale"s attention as he nibbled at a fried rice-and-cheese ball, "You think they"re almost done? I"m starting to get worried about Uncle Gil."

Pale washed down a bite with some citrus drink, "I think it"s gonna be okay. Boss thought he was smart enough. That"s why Mister Reynard put him in charge."

Taree pouted, idly spinning her fork in her pasta, "It"s just that he"s not very strong..."

A large crash resounded from across the street, as the wooden shutters of a 2nd-story window burst open, a man in his underpants being thrown out of it. Shortly afterward, a wooden wardrobe dresser flew after him and fell on top of him. Gilebert appeared in the window, red-in-the-face and yelling obscenities in the Old Language.

Pale took another sip of his drink.

The 11-year-old Taree put a finger on her chin, "What"s he saying?"

"Probably things we"re not allowed to repeat," the younger boy a.s.sured her.

"Oh, alright."

The two resumed their meal.

...

Knight-Captain Lacroix followed her uncle down the steps of the apartment building.

"I really should have known zat would happen," she confided helplessly.

"Mister Gilebert is an efficient man." High Wizard Trayus had pulled his hood down to s.h.i.+eld him from the midday sun, "He would make a fine addition to the City Watch. There will be an opening now with Sergeant"s injury."

Her uncle spoke with a bit of venom, still clearly unhappy.

Daniela shook her head, "By sundown, I"ll have ze former Vice-Capitaine is rotting in one of ze cells he loves so much. Of all ze times--"

Her uncle held out a hand to stop her from walking. Daniela reflexively reached for her sword, observing her surroundings. The alleyway they walked along was suspiciously empty, outside of the two of them. Not even a bird dared to sing.

[I wish to know why Thomas Sergeant still breathes.]

"Who goes there? Come out!" Daniela yelled out, drawing her sword.

"I wish to know if you"ve ever killed anyone with that sword of yours, little girl."

Daniela leaped forward, away from the source of the voice. She turned, adopting a defensive stance, to see a 4-fulm-tall gnome in furs, with hair as green as vines, crossing his arms.

Daniela felt Trayus place his hand on her sword arm, but she shook him off. The gnome had appeared without warning. If he"d attacked, they"d be dead, and he clearly didn"t appear with the best of intentions, "Who in ze h.e.l.ls do you think you are?!"

The gnome tilted his head strangely, reminiscent to an owl. His eyes-- all-black sclera, sending chills down Daniela"s spine, "I was given the name Leafstrangle. I wish to know why Daniela Lacroix asks for my name when all others beg for mercy?"

Her uncle stepped forward, placing a hand out in front of her, "Mercy, Master Leafstrangle. The former Vice-Captain has been dealt with. The Baron will be released in less than two bells."

"I wish to know why he still LiiIiivVvesss?! MaAaastErrr TrayUUUuus?" The gnome"s toothy maw grew wide with its screeching, grating Daniela"s senses.

Finding her voice, Daniela pulled her uncle"s arm down. She didn"t need a man to speak for her, "Thomas Sergeant will be tried and prosecuted according to ze Kingdom"s laws. You have my word zat he will be punished to the law"s full extent!"

The gnome"s face broke into a jagged-toothed, unblinking smile, "How. Dreadfully. Boring."

With a sudden breeze, the gnome spilled into a pile of leaves, scattering in the wind. Daniela looked all around her. Dozens of people were in the alleyway, walking about, was.h.i.+ng clothes, yelling at their husbands, and giving her odd looks.

Daniela resheathed her sword, nodding politely.

"Master Leafstrangle, a Druid from the Free Nations Emba.s.sy," her uncle explained.

"Stars and stones... A lawyer representing High Councilor Rocher. A Trading Company... Half a dozen men wis" enough arms and armor to slay a cave troll. Princess Aurala, King Adal, and High Councilor Highblade?" Daniela s.h.i.+vered from latent fear, "And an emissary from ze Beast Kingdoms? Who is zis Baron Tycondrious?"