Chapter 9: First mission, Part 2

"I am in awe of so many achievements Mr. Mosbeam. But can you tell us more about the job? " asked  Orion politely.

'So you can talk like that uh ?'

"First, these children? Are they bloodhounds too?"

Thoralf was staring at us with his small eyes.

"Yes, they are apprentices." Orion replied. 

"Orphans I suppose?" he asked, still staring at us. His gaze was becoming unpleasant. 

"Yes, as you guessed."

 "A sad world we are living in." he replied, crossing his fingers over his stomach before continuing.

 "Anyway, several of my warehouses outside the city are under recurring attack from a group of Vulkores. They have set up camp on the nearby plain. I need your help to get rid of them." 

"How many of them ?" asked Orion, who seemed to be thinking.

 "According to my men, about twenty."

 "Twenty ? That's far too many for a single bloodhound..." 

"Of course I know that , who do you think I am ? Tss, you are not the only one who has been hired. Some of your 'colleagues' have already been sent to the location. You will each receive the amount marked on the request." said Thoralf cutting Orion off. 

"I see. But why don't you use your guards or contact the knights of the kingdom? You could pay them less than using the services of the bloodhounds." replied Orion making a point.

"I prefer to preserve as much as possible the health of my men and the soldiers of the kingdom have far too much work." spoke Thoralf who was already getting up from his chair. "Do you accept my request or not?" he asked, trying to look down on us but he was so short that even sitting down Orion was a head taller than him. 

"Well, I accept your offer." Orion replied as he stood up and held out his hand. 

Thoralf's face suddenly hardened as he raised his head to look at Orion. He refused to shake his hand and left the room. I turned to Lyanna who waved her hand in a strange way.

 ("Something's wrong, Rinne.")

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Orion disappeared a few hours after the meeting. We waited for him before taking a carriage prepared by Thoralf.

"What did you mean something was wrong?" 

("It's just a supposition. I'll tell you when I know for sure.") 

"You're such a pain in the ass, you do that all the time," 

I replied, slightly annoyed. 

("And your reaction is always the same, it's so easy with you.") 

"I hate you, you know? " 

("And I love you, brother.") 

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She said, concentrating on her book. 

Lyanna had this annoying habit of teasing me whenever she got the chance. She liked to tickle my curiosity but rarely gave me the answers. We were leaving the city. It was a small and ordinary city. There was many old houses and stores with red brick walls. In the center of the city, people could meet and gather at the market, which also served as a public square. Except for Thoralf's house, everything was dull and basic. The day was coming to an end. The bars were filling up. On the other hand, the shops were closing. The carriage was passing an alley that led to the slums. All along the alley, I could see people lying in their own filth. Negative thoughts were running through my mind. We have visited several small towns since we left the Novius Estate. The same observation could be made in each of them. This one was no exception. Each town was divided in two, with one part for the adepts and the slums for the heretics. In these slums, the level of insecurity was high. All the establishments of lust and drug use were located there. There was also a clear distinction between the adepts and the heretics: in the quality of their clothes, in the places they visited, in their job offers, and even in their homes. This distinction between individuals was simply accepted. 

The ride was not long. All the time Orion was polishing his weapon and adjusting his equipment. His movements were cautious and precise. In the rare moments when he was serious, he gave off something truly reassuring. Our trio arrived at Thoralf's estate and we could see three large warehouses. Two of them were in bad shape, having been attacked. The wooden roofs had large holes in them and the door of one of the warehouses was completely smashed in. There were signs of battle all around, with a few craters and red stains on the grass. Several guards were walking around the area, surrounded by a broken fence. We got off the carriage to find a group of about twelve people waiting outside. Curious and threatening looks fell upon us. The air was hostile. None of these people were wearing armor, so I assumed they were all bloodhounds. Some of them had their faces covered by masks or hoods. Others had their weapons out. 

"When you said that the most dangerous thing for a bloodhound is a bloodhound. I didn't quite understand, but I think I do now." I said, still watching my surroundings. 

Orion walked in front of us, taking up space. He had his chest out and his head up. He was wearing only small leather pads over a white shirt, black trousers, and boots. We were dressed similarly, but Orion's presence was much more prominent.

"Don't walk away from me, is that clear?" Orion replied seriously. 

 "Yes," 

We were leaning against the fence, waiting for events to unfold. Then a woman approached us. 

"What a horrible sight! You dared to reproduce yourself..." She said with a look of deep disgust on her face.

Orion let out a long sigh.

That was a good joke, but what struck me most was how beautiful she was. Dark skin, long gray hair and grey pupils that gave her a cold and powerful expression. Her figure was perfect. The woman wore a white shirt, brown trousers, and boots. At her waist was a beautiful sword, quite short and light in appearance. Lyanna and I could tell from her features that she was from the kingdom of Liafel. She was quite far from home. 

"Shut up. Do I even look like a father?" replied Orion, clearly annoyed. 

"Who would be crazy enough to let you be a father? That's the real question," she said before leaning over to us. 

"Good evening, what are you doing here ?". 

"We're Orion's...friends," I replied, meeting her eyes. 

If Lyanna hadn't tapped me on the shoulder, I would have been lost in her gaze.

 'Beautiful...'  

The woman gave Orion a disapproving look before her hand quickly grabbed his ear. He tried to dodge her, but she was damn fast. 

"Jeez. Stop that." Orion reacted, already showing his fangs.

"What's wrong with you? Bringing children on a mission, you stupid bastard, you think this is a game?" she said this time in a calm but threatening voice.  

"There are circumstances that require me to keep them with me." 

"What do you mean by circumstances?" she asked doubtfully.

"I can't tell you," Orion replied, looking away.  

The young woman pulled even harder on his ear. 

 "Stop, stop, stop. I really can't tell you anything."

 Orion moaned like a child. We watched the scene in embarrassment for him. By spending time with him, we started to like him a lot but sometimes he was really weird. 'Sorry man, but you just lost all credibility in front of your peers... May your dignity rest in peace.' 

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