“Stop!”

  For a moment, I thought the voice calling from inside was talking to me, but then I realised Rita had vanished from my side. I turned and found her sword drawn, its tip pointing at the neck of the man with the box. He watched her, wide-eyed and clearly unsure what to do in this situation. Gracelessly, I pulled myself to my feet just in time to see Reeds and another man enter the entrance hall.

  The second man was clearly the owner of the establishment. He was tall, thin, and his bushy brown hair was showing signs of a receding hairline. Food stains covered his apron, which fit with the grubby look of his green tunic. Though when he raised a hand to point at Rita, I could see they were as clean as a whistle.

  “Stop!” he called again. “He’s a courier.”

  “He tried to attack my client,” Rita shot back, and the way she clipped her words became pronounced.

  When the courier spoke, he sounded choked up. “Accident. Apologies. But Mr. Whithers is a premium customer.”

  “Rita, for the goddess’s sake, drop your sword,” I called out to her, as I moved over. She didn’t. Not until I was standing beside them both. With a sigh, I held out a hand to the man. “No harm done, Mr?”

  “Timmy,” he said, and I could see the gratitude in his eyes when the sword vanished from his skin.

  “Timmy,” I repeated. “A pleasure. Here, take this for the inconvenience. Perhaps you can tell me who you work for? A good courier may be worth its weight in gold at a later date.”

  He puffed up at that, his broad chest growing. As he did, I had to admit he wasn’t what I had expected for someone who delivered the mail. Most such services hired people who were thin and quick. The type built for slipping through crowds and getting away from danger. A use of Item Value Identification told me none of his clothes were worth much. At least until I got to the lace armband.

  That came back at over five-hundred gold. An enchanted item without doubt, though an odd choice. Enchanters didn’t consider Lace, or much outside of Gemstones and Steel, structurally sound enough to carry the magic the system granted them. I wondered what powers it granted him. Speed? Teleportation? Item finding? It would depend on the enchanter. Though, there was no doubt it was a masterwork, even if the price was low for such things.

  “Perhaps a bulk order to cut costs? Or did whoever his employer was source the material themselves? An in-house project? I bet it would be possible to shave a few gold from each one…”

  His answer pulled me out of my musing. “The Lace Courier Company. For when you need a delicate touch to package delivery.”

  “Or a less delicate one,” I joked, rubbing my side.

  He laughed as Rita watched us. We exchanged a few more pleasantries before Timmy nodded, and raced off down the road. I watched him go. His muscular legs ate up the distance, though far too quickly for it to be natural. A speed enchantment then.

  “You don’t need to be so protective of me.” I glanced at Rita, who was holding her sword by her side. “I was fine.”

  “Not you. He smelled wrong, or the box did. I’m not sure.”

  That caught my attention, and I stared back at him. “Are you sure? What type of smell?”

  “Yes. Alchemical.” She paused. “My friend Sasha has a workshop. She’s made similar things.”

  “Poisons?” I joked.

  Rita nodded, though she wasn’t looking at me. “Among other concoctions.”

  I decided I was happier not knowing. Instead, I turned and moved back to the Inn. Reeds had returned inside, but Mr. Whithers remained outside, shaking his hands. His worried gaze landed on me, and he blurted out.

  “You are not hurt, sir? I apologize for the inconvenience. A meal on the house for the trouble. Please, come inside and allow me to escort you to the dining room.”

  “No harm done, no harm done.” I smiled as I followed him inside. “Have you worked with them long?”

  As his back was to me, I couldn’t see his expression, but I swore his shoulders tensed. “They are good customers, and offer excellent services.”

  “Both make them a rare find. Perhaps I should look them up,” I said, as I took the seat at the small table next to Reeds.

  Mr. Whithers gave a slow shake of his head. “They don’t do private deliveries, I’m sad to say. Though they service most inns in the area.”

  “Truly? I haven’t heard of them.”

  “Jasper,” Reeds let out a laugh. “Are you going to leave my mug empty while you talk business? What kind of innkeeper are you? Get the boy one too. After his excursion in the stable with Rita, I bet he could use a drink.”

  “What are you implying, sir?” I asked, tone careful, as Rita slipped in beside Reeds.

  His grin was wide and boyish, and I knew the type of answer he would give. “Well, a young man and woman sneaking off to stable the horses? It was a common excuse my wife used with her father as well. And I thought I told you to call me Reeds?”

  “Miss. Thrumlin.” I stressed the professional form of address. “And I did not engage in such behavior. There is a chance she’ll be my boss.”

  “Yes, yes. That’s what my wife calls it, too.”

  Reeds seemed pleased with himself, and from the way Rita didn’t react, it was clear she was used to the way he talked. It irked me. The last thing I needed was for rumours to spread that I was bedding someone I worked for. Multiple men who hired me had wives, often younger ones. That sort of suspicion wouldn’t do well for me.

  “I’m serious. Nothing happened.”

  “Don’t take anything Reeds says seriously,” Jasper said, with a shake of his head. “He likes to cause trouble. Honestly, I don’t know how Sheryl puts up with you.”

  “My loyalty and love for her,” Reeds said without missing a beat.

  Rita didn’t look up from where she was studying the table. “She could get a dog for that, and it wouldn’t make crude jokes about me.”

  There was a beat of silence, and then Reeds roared with laughter. Jasper chuckled, and even Rita grinned. It was obvious as an outsider this wasn’t the first time this group had spent time together. I leaned back in my chair, happy to let them banter. After a short time, Jasper left and came back with a mug of ale for me, and, to my surprise, a pot of tea.

  That last he placed before Rita, along with a teacup. She thanked him, and he gave the traditional three fingered wave.

  “What’s cooking?” Reeds asked as he drained his own ale.

  “Fish stew, and bread. It is rather late, and—”

  A loud screeching sounded out, cutting him off. Fear caused a shiver to run up my spine, and my hands moved towards my jacket and the gun. Rita froze, halfway through filling her cup. Reeds clicked his tone, and I saw Jasper once more ring his hands. Twice more the sound occurred before it finished.

  “You have a monster problem?” I turned to Jasper, slowly lowering my hand away from my weapon. “A big one?”

  Jasper shook his head, his hands still moving. “No, no, sir. You’ll be perfectly safe here. It’s a local problem, not something for travellers like yourself to worry about. The Frogs Wart can guarantee your safety.”

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  “Against what sounds like a Worshghast?” Rita demanded, her tone making it clear how little she believed anything he was saying.

  “A what?”

  Her tail wasn’t moving, which made me wish I hadn’t asked, and pulled her attention onto me. Those green eyes watched me, the inhuman, slitted pupils seeming more intense than ever. When she spoke, her voice was soft.

  “They are undead. A mix of monsters designed as guards to unholy beings. People claim they are a sign of death and decay.”

  “Not something we need to mess with then,” I said. “That’s good to know.”

  I already knew she wouldn’t agree. “Jasper. How long?”

  “It’s been showing up for a week? We keep finding disturbed graves with the corpses missing. Though we've only found one or two dug up so far,” he said.

  “Is the mayor not doing anything?” Reeds frowned before he coughed. “Have you hired hunters or priests?”

  Jasper sounded disgusted when he answered. “Mayor Kyles doesn’t wish to stretch the town’s budget, or so the rumours say. Though my inn is not a place for such talk.”

  Rita stared at me, and I knew what she wanted. However, I had little interest in giving it to her. She could go hunt this beast if she wanted. My presence wasn’t a requirement. I opened my mouth to tell her that, when she pounced, getting in before me.

  “Jasper, is there a warrant out for this hunt?” She asked, though her gaze never left me.

  Goosebumps covered my skin as he spoke the words that would seal my fate. “No, I don’t believe so.”

  “Then, Mr. Burling, perhaps you could organize something for me?” She had that small smile on her face. “A showcase of your skills.”

  It was a challenge, and one I wanted to rise to. If I worked for her, getting jobs and organizing contracts would be among my duties. This would be a good place to start, and it would allow me to share my name with another mayor. It never hurt to be known by those in charge, especially ones who may end up pleased with my efforts.

  “As long as it’s understood that I’m not going to fight this, Worshghast, was it?”

  The monster screeched again, and I saw her ears flick before she gave a brief nod. “I promise you, without question, Mr. Burling. You will not have to fight a Worshghast.”

  “Then, Rita, I accept. Mr. Whithers, does your town hall have visiting hours?”

  “Any time in the morning should be fine. Our mayor likes to get up early,” he said.

  I nodded along with his words. “Then we’ll take a meal, three rooms, and a bath. After all, it sounds like I have a meeting to prepare for.”

  ***

  The building the mayor resided in was squat and sat at the center of Ophilim. No one stopped us from walking in, and after explaining our purpose, we found ourselves escorted by a rather dowdy secretary. She hadn’t offered her name, nor had I asked for it.

  She slouched her way to the door, knocked thrice, and then pushed past both Rita and me to get back to her desk. To me, it was an obvious sign that she found herself either overworked, underpaid, or a mixture of both. Well paid people worked hard, and those that didn’t were easy to cut away for profit.

  “Enter!” a gruff voice sounded out.

  I did so, pushing open the door and walking into an office. The room was tidy, with a large desk, a few bookshelves containing both scrolls and tomes, and a wilted potted plant by an open window that let in a gentle breeze. Behind the desk sat Mayor Kyles, who was a short man, with bulging muscles and a thick blonde handlebar mustache.

  “New faces, welcome!” He bellowed his words. “Sit.”

  There were no chairs aside from his own, and so I simply moved over to stand before the desk. Rita stayed near the door, hand on her sword, and face expressionless. It was in stark contrast to the smile I wore, as I held out a hand.

  “My name is Chad Burling, sir, and this is Miss Thurmlin, owner and leader of the Blackrock Mercenary Company.”

  “And to what do I owe the pleasure?” His attempt to crush my hand produced no visible results, and he soon let it go.

  I didn’t shake my hand, nor did I let my smile fade. That was an old trick, and I enjoyed the flash of irritation in his eyes at his failed attempt to cow me. “We heard you’re having issues with a Worshghast. My employer would like to offer her services in dealing with the issue.”

  “While I appreciate the offer, we aren’t currently seeking to hire outside help.” He stroked his mustache. “Though I appreciate the visit and the interest, of course. Ophilim is always excited to speak to travellers.”

  “Is that so? Because I heard you’ve had issues with disturbed graves. Necromancy is a foul practice. That must mean you have the kingdom’s troops coming to deal with it? Or are they sending the Peol Mercenary Company to come and sort the issue?”

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Rita twitch at the name. To my relief, my words kept the mayor’s attention focused on me. At my mention of necromancy, he appeared to twitch. Had he not known? Or did he think it was a lesser crime he could get away with ignoring until someone else made a plea to deal with it? If a kingdom patrol turned up, he wouldn’t be the one to pay for the monster’s removal.

  “Well, they are busy men and women. I’m sure they’ve heard of our troubles, and we are due a patrol soon. The required notes have been sent, bureaucracy procedures have been followed.”

  His flustered tone made it apparent he wasn’t prepared to justify himself. The last time someone had talked to me like this, it had been an accountant embezzling funds. He had narrowly avoided losing his thumbs. Companies in Wresti, the kingdom to the west, did not mess around with those who cooked their books. A large reason that I stopped working for them.

  However, it confirmed my suspicion. This man was sitting on his hands. Typical middle management behaviour. He didn’t want to upset those below him by taking action, even though procedures from the top told him he should. His deepest desire was a way out that wouldn’t cost him much in terms of either public opinion or tax payers gold.

  Poker face kept my smile small and serene. I had him. He simply didn’t know it yet.

  “As a mayor, I’m sure you have. Though we are happy to offer a discount to a town under siege.” I expected Rita to complain, but she simply watched me as I worked. “Our normal rates are reasonable as is.”

  I had no idea what Rita normally charged, but it didn’t matter at the moment. She had left me to work on this negotiation. From the sounds of the monster, I was betting maybe ten gold pieces? If I took this job, finding some sort of Soldier of Fortune industry standards manual would be key. But a single monster that dug up graves couldn’t be that fearsome, surely? Though I personally would pay more to make sure someone removed such a concern from my vicinity.

  “A discount you say?” he asked, and I could hear the hint of greed in his voice.

  “Of course. While a Worshghast is a tricky monster, my employer has experience with such abominations. A mere ten gold, down from twenty, is a reasonable price to pay to make sure the loved ones of your constituents are safe, don’t you agree? Why, who could argue the reelection of a mayor who made sure their deceased mother didn’t have her corpse pulled apart and used in dark rituals?”

  His eyes grew wide, and I knew I had him. He listened as I described the terrible things that could happen to any corpse unlucky enough to be stolen. Mayor Kyles nodded along, and I saw Rita shifting uncomfortably against the wall. To my relief, she didn’t pipe up and admit that I didn’t know what I was talking about.

  “What do you think, Mayor? Ten gold, and we do this on the down low. No one needs to know anything aside from the fact they were safe?” I gave him my best smile, showing off white teeth as I smoothed down my seat.

  “I… well… I suppose. We could frame it as an investigation. Perhaps move some money from a festival budget or other…” He trailed off, and then nodded. “You will be discrete?”

  “As a stagehand who needs to fix a theater backdrop during a performance before the king himself. All I need is a piece of paper from you.”

  That earned me a quizzical look, but he handed over the paper. I tapped at it and activated my Instant Contract skill. Black script covered the page, with two black spots for signatures. The Mayor signed his side with a flourish. A stark contrast to Rita, who walked over stiffly and scrawled her own name. I handed the document to Mayor Kyles.

  “Does your secretary have a way to copy this? For my own records. I would like one before we leave.”

  “Of course.”

  It took longer than I liked, but soon, we walked out of the Mayor’s office with the paper tucked into my jacket. Rita didn’t say a word, instead she led us back to The Frogs Wart at a quick pace. I mulled over the reasons she might be annoyed with me. One reason was the most obvious.

  “Did I undercharge him that badly?” I asked, as we entered the near empty inn.

  Her tail wasn’t flicking, and I swore I saw a hint of claws at the end of her fingers. When she spoke, she hissed the words. “You lied to him. A Worshghast is no sign of dark rituals. No one’s dead mother is going to be pulled apart.”

  “Perhaps not, but he was going to sit on his hands until the end of time.” I walked into the small lounge, which was little more than a tiny table and two chairs. “He needed a reason to act, and I gave him one. But seriously, did I undercharge him?”

  She took the chair opposite, her tail tucking around her waist. “That is not a good reason to lie, and how would I know?”

  “Why would you not know?” I could hear the incredulity in my voice.

  “Our contracts are less official than this. More on a case by case basis.” She didn’t meet my eye as she spoke. “It’s one of the reasons I hired you.”

  “And the other reasons?”

  Rita didn’t answer, instead turning and continuing to walk. “I don’t think what we’re facing is worth ten gold in terms of danger. So I think you’re over charging him.”

  “Good. It’ll be nice to make a profit.” She had a skeptical look, but I continued, ignoring the fact she hadn’t bothered to answer my actual question. It wasn’t the first time an employer had kept things from me. “When are you going to hunt this creature?”

  “We.”

  “Excuse me?” I asked.

  “For this hunt, I will need someone to act as the lookout to make sure it doesn’t escape.” She smiled, and I knew with certainty she wouldn’t let me walk away from this one, employment contract or not. “And we are going the moment the sun sets.”