Another Succesful Mission! Returning the Chest to its rightful owner

Delarissa and I take a handle on each side of the chest, lifting as one and call out to the others together, "Hey guys, look what we found over here!"

Gwendolyn and Angelika both look up from where they were looking, Yevelda's eyes still on the two captured bandits.

"Alright, let's get this loaded up and back to the courthouse where it belongs", Gwendolyn states more as a reminder and less of an order.

"Now, now, let's take a minute and check out what's in this thing that is so valuable shall we?", Angelika interjects with all the subtlety of a charging bull.

"That is not what we are getting paid for and it doesn't belong to us"

"Doesn't mean we can't take a little look right?"

Del and I approach where everyone is standing around talking and lay the chest down on the ground.

"Even if we wanted to, and left our morals back in town we don't have a key for the chest Ange."

"Since when has that ever stopped me? You didn't mind when I picked those locks on the shackles last month now did you?"

"We had been captured by slavers Ange...That was an entirely different situation for our survival not for pilfering the belongings of the Mayor."

"Pshh...a lock's a lock, and locks are meant to be opened is all I'm saying."

"Anyway, let's get back to the wagon with this chest and head back into town", this time there was an air of authority about Gwen's voice as she particularly directed it at Angelika.

Delarissa and I picked the chest back up and we all made the trek through the trees to where we had left the wagon, Yevelda lead the way with the two bandits tied up in front of her, with her great axe looming above them they were strangely compliant. Once there, she helped us lift the chest up into the storage space and we all got on for the dull trip back. Along the way Angelika eyed off where the chest was a calculating look on her face but was stared down by Gwen.

Since I had nothing else to do on the trip I got out my new found book to get more of a handle on it, I noticed a page, one of the infinite pages it seems was gently glowing and turned to it. The page was the one detailing Delarissa and more specifically the number next to her Affection level was glowing, it had changed to a 26 and had a note (+5 Zeren looked completely taken by his church's book, it's an admirable quality and we organised to speak more about it). Another page later in the book was glowing and I turned straight to it, it read:

"As you interact with someone whose details are found within these pages you will notice their affect, love and lust scores will all change based on those interactions. Positive interactions will increase these scores faster than seems possible and negative interactions will not affect the score very much if at all. Once you reach 50 in any of the scores you will be rewarded."

Rewarded? What did that mean, I flicked through the book to find any more information but could not find any past what I had read and the pages dedicated to each of my companions.

After a long and bumpy ride I looked up to see the familiar gates of Bracklewhyte, the mayor of which was our current employer. The guards stationed at the gates knew who we were and we were waved through without a hassle. The streets of Bracklewhyte were quite smooth for a town of this size and so the ride through the town to the courthouse was much more pleasant.

Once we arrived Yevelda pulled the chest down and threw the two bandits to the ground behind it who landed with a thud. Gwendolyn helped me carry the chest this time while Angelika and Delarissa followed behind into the Mayor's office. After easing it down to the ground Gwendolyn remarked on the ease and speed with which we had retrieved this man's chest. Meanwhile Yevelda marched the two bandits directly to the sheriff's building.

"Yes, yes, that was rather quick, only last night I sent you out!"

"You can always rely on the Scarlet Company", Gwendolyn stated with a genuine sense of pride.

"Ye, you did come highly recommended and here is your payment", the mayor tossed a bag of coins onto the table. Gwendolyn grabbed the bag, thanked the mayor and turned to leave.

"Aren't you going to make sure it's all there Gwen?", I said quietly, not wanting to insult anyone.

"Oh, I'm sure it's all here, the honourable mayor wouldn't short change us. I'm sure of it", her tone was friendly but it seemed a little too friendly. Gwendolyn had a way with words that stung more than they should have.

The mayor tossed another bag on the table, "Hmm, sorry, I forgot about this bag too."

"Oh, no problem sir, just mistake, I completely understand", Gwendolyn grabbed this bag as well and ushered me out of the mayor's office in front of her. Once outside she whispered, "I wish that you could trust everyone but I know the mayor here is ruthless and tries to get away with what he can. Sometimes a firm word is all that is needed to make sure that the deal is kept."

Gwendolyn and I walk out to the wagon where Delarissa and Angelika are discussing the finer points of the morality of theft, we see Yevelda getting back just at the same time. We empty the bags of coin onto the back of the wagon and distribute the payment exactly equally, Gwendolyn may be the leader but in the Scarlet Company, everyone is equally as important.