First Day on the Job

Authors Note: Since Vera is going to have a bit more presence in these coming chapters, I have decided to give a sneak peak at her character image (seen HERE, it is just her face). I've been sitting on this for a while, longer than Rina has had her own image actually, but at some point I gave myself a rule to only release these when the character in question is first seen naked, so... Really though, I should have done this sooner.

“Believe it or not,” the Countess idly speaks as they walk through the halls of her home. “I do have one more gift to bestow upon you.”

Krvavy raises an eyebrow and glances at the pink-skinned half-Elf. “More? You are really trying to spoil me, huh~?”

“Perhaps~.” Rina responds with a playful smile. “In truth, this ‘gift’ is not born of generosity but convenience. I recall you mentioning your need to use a basic spell to placate animals of your presence. While that may suffice for brief encounters, it will not do for our journey. Vera?”

The albino maid scowls a little as she reaches into a pouch on her apron, pulling out a slightly triangular silver band. It looks almost identical to the Far-Speaking ring nestled on Krvavy’s horn, albeit without the black crystalline band running through its center.

“I had thought that I was clever for having it fitted for your lower horns, though it would seem that you have beat me to that idea~.”

Vera glares heatedly at the Drakling as she hands over the silver band.

Ring of Pacified Presence: A simple, enchanted ring that replicates the effects of the Beast Magic spell Calm Creature for the wearer.

“Well, at least I’m a bit more balanced now.” Krvavy lightly responds, slipping the enchanted ring onto her lower left horn.

“If you do not mind me asking, is there a significance to the one you were already wearing?” Rina curiously asks, slowing down slightly so that her maid can go ahead and reach the large front doors before they do. “You had not worn it on your previous visits.”

Krvavy softly nibbles on the inside of her cheek. She’ll be using her Far-Speaking ring quite a bit on this trip, so no point in hiding it from the Countess. But that doesn’t mean she has to explain it in detail either. “It’s... nothing too special, really. Just something that should let me keep in touch with my girl’s back home. We’re not really sure how much range it’ll have though, so it might not be all that useful.”

Rina raises a single delicate eyebrow. “Benefits of having a Dwarf at hand, I suppose. She is a Runesmith, right? I believe Beryl had mentioned that.”

“Yeah.” The barbarian answers with a sigh. “She’ll want to test it every single day, checking to see if the sound is getting distorted or delayed...”

A faintly teasing smile plays at Rina’s black lips. “You will have plenty of time for that this coming week. Our journey will not be the most exciting.” She states, stepping outside and gesturing towards the convoy of carriages lined up on the road leading to her home. “We will be sequestered away for much of it.”

Krvavy trails her gaze across the convoy, feeling almost awed by its size. Not only are there nearly two dozen carriages, but they are all pretty big as well, drawn by four horses each. Wide and rectangular. Kind of like a shipping container. Just... way more beautiful, with ornate wood-carved walls and fancy windows with curtains on the inside. Even the horses look fancy, their manes braided and bodies decorated with ornately patterned fabrics.

On top of that... nearly every single carriage is identical. Only a few, about six or so, look different. A bit bulkier, slightly less ornate. No windows. Probably for transporting goods and supplies...

“Impressed~?” The Countess smiles, a playful gleam dancing across her amethyst eyes.

“Kinda, yeah.” Krvavy honestly admits, resting her axe over her shoulder as she follows after the half-Elf and albino maid.

“I am curious, just what were you expecting?”

“I’m not really sure.” The Drakling shrugs. “Fewer carriages. Smaller carriages. Not quite as many horses...” She idly states, looking over the various knights that surround the convoy. Some are simply standing around, clearly waiting to enter the carriages, while others are riding atop armoured warhorses.

“I am the Countess of Raseyne,” Rina teasingly ‘reminds’ the barbarian. “And we are heading off to a council of other regional leaders. I am not going to travel lightly, with the bare minimum of a retinue.”

“My Lady!” A knight in full plate calls out, saluting briefly before turning and pulling at a wooden panel directly beneath a door near the front of the carriage he is standing beside. A decorated staircase unfolds itself, thumping into the ground.

Vera hurries ahead, grabbing at her uniform’s long dress as she ascends up the few steps. The door opens inwards, and she disappears inside.

The Countess gives her knight a courteous nod, “at ease.”

Krvavy follows with a degree of caution, feeling relieved when the well-made steps don’t even creak beneath her weight. She ducks through the door, careful to not hit anything with her oversized axe.

“Make yourself comfortable.” The pink-skinned half-Elf warmly orders, settling down onto a plush couch that takes up nearly the entirety of this section of the carriage, hugging the walls in shape of a cane.

Vera nudges Krvavy in the side, forcing the Drakling to step away from the door so that she can shut it. A solid click rings out as the unfriendly maid secures a rather heavy bolt in place.

“Or~...” Rina’s melodic voice is tinged with amusement. “Feel free to explore and familiarize yourself with what will be your home for the majority of our time together.”

Krvavy glances at her Soulbound Weapon.

“There should be room for that beneath these seats. Vera will handle it, so that you do not need to lie down on the floor.”

The maid in question does not look particularly happy about her apparent duty. With a sigh, she holds her hands out. “Hhhmh...!” She sharply exhales, finding the barbarian’s weapon to be a bit heavier than she expected. But, beyond that initial surprise, she seems to handle it just fine.

Carefully squeezing past the hostile albino, who is giving her a murderous glare, Krvavy turns to the only other door in this slightly cramped room. It easily slides open, disappearing into the wall beside it.

The room beyond is even smaller. To the right is a tight ‘U’ shaped cubbyhole of shelves covered in sliding glass doors, making it easy to see the countless books, boxes, and bottles stored within. To the left is another sliding door, though this one parts in the center and... curves inwards into a surprisingly modern looking shower stall with sink and toilet all crammed inside of it.

Ahead is, unsurprisingly, another door. This one is at least a normal door though, swinging into the room beyond. A rather large room, at that. Though the vast majority of its space is taken up by an opulent bed that nearly reaches wall to wall, only having a narrow gap on either side so that someone could reach the head of the bed without having to crawl over the whole thing. Beyond that, there are some nightstands in the far corners of the room as well as a dresser and vanity desk with mirror and chair flanking the doorway.

Krvavy pulls the door shut and turns around.

“Done already~?” Rina playfully asks, invitingly patting a spot on the couch beside her.

The Drakling carefully sits down next to the Countess, making sure her armour isn’t squishing anything. “I noticed that there is only one bed.”

“Yes, and~?” Elegant pink-skinned fingers, with nails painted black, idly trail over Krvavy’s bare abs.

“There are three of us here, and I doubt Vera would appreciate having to share it with me.”

The albino maid purses her lips, clearly not happy about the fact that she agrees with the barbarian there.

“How considerate of you.” Rina warmly comments, meeting Krvavy’s gaze. “It would be expected for you to sleep either on the floor or the couch, with Vera taking the other. But~...” her amethyst eyes shine as her fingers tap their way down to the center of the ring holding Krvavy’s new loincloth together. “To sleep alone in a bed of such size would simply be too lonely, so I will share it~. Some nights with you, others with Vera.”

A slight smile plays at the maid’s pouty lips, even as she tries to suppress it. The albino pats down her dress and straightens her apron as she settles down on a corner seat nestled between the two doors, the only seat in this room that is not attached to the large couch.

“Come now, dear, no need to put such distance between us~. Krvavy here knows that you are more than just my maid~. Take advantage of our privacy~.”

A faint blush fills Vera’s snow-white cheeks as she stands up, crosses the carriage in only a few steps, and sits back down beside the Countess. Her flushed face grows a deeper shade of red as she cuddles closely with her Lady, clinging onto the half-Elf’s side. Her pale pink eyes narrow behind her glasses, glaring smugly and triumphantly at Krvavy.

The Drakling simply smiles and shakes her head. “Not to sound impatient, but when are we going to start moving?”

Rina looks up from her maid, though she continues to stroke the girl’s white hair as if Vera were her pet. Which... might not be far off the truth. “We already are. Check outside one of the windows if you do not believe me.”

Krvavy turns towards the only window in this room, beyond the one built into the door itself. But that one is a bit further away. She scoots over the soft couch and pulls aside the thick curtain.

Buildings are moving by at a decent pace. Not particularly fast, but not exactly slow either.

“These carriages are designed with comfort in mind.” A bit of pride fills the Countess’ voice. “None but the biggest of bumps and shakes will bother us. Nor will you have to worry too much about anything rolling or sliding around in here, as the surfaces will remain flat and level for the most part. Sadly, the carriage will still tilt while on steeper inclines. But not to the degree that it naturally would otherwise.”

“Huh.” Krvavy blinks in surprise. This is essentially a wooden mobile home with really good suspension. Weird, but not all that surprising when magic is considered.

“If you do not mind me asking,” Rina recaptures the barbarian’s attention. “What is inside of that?” She curiously wonders, eyeing the bottle shaped gourd secured to Krvavy’s belt.

“This? It’s just some nectar. Well, magical nectar. Kind of like a potion, I guess? A restorative one.” The Drakling shrugs and lightly shakes her head. “Beryl made it, if you couldn’t guess. I haven’t actually opened it up yet, because once I do I’ll probably end up drinking it all...”

“Oh? Is it that good?”

“Yeah...” Krvavy nods, a faint bit of colour filling her cheeks. “Though it might be a bit better fresh...”

“Perhaps you would be willing to share a sip?” Rina suggests, her elegant fingers idly making a slight mess of Vera’s hair. The maid does not seem to mind that, faintly smiling as she nuzzles into her Lady. Like a cat. “Not now, but later? If it is to my tastes, then I would be willing to purchase bottles of it in the future.”

“Trying to give me a reason to visit more often, huh~?”

“Perhaps~.”

“I’ll ask Beryl about it.” Krvavy replies, trying not to think about her sweet berry filling bottle after bottle with this sweet nectar. The slight red hue that continues to fill her cheeks is proof of her not doing a particularly good job at that.

The Countess simply nods. Silence fills the carriage, dragging on for a few long seconds before she speaks up again. “I suppose that now is as good a time as any to give you the details of our itinerary. Barring extraordinary circumstances, we will only be stopping three times each day: at midday, in the late afternoon, and late in the evening. The first of those two will only last for an hour or so, while the third will see us stationary until the morn. At this pace, we should arrive in Vratsa on the third, in the early evening.”

“So we just... sit and wait until then, huh?”

“Bored already~?” Rina’s amethyst eyes twinkle with amusement. “There are books to read and, if that is not enough, we can set up a table here to play some games, both cards and otherwise. Beyond that... we do have each other to keep us company~.”

“Mhhhh~...” Vera breathily gasps as her Lady’s hand slips beneath her apron, giving one of her pert tits a squeeze through her dress. A deep scarlet blush fills her cheeks as she glares at the Drakling, angry at Krvavy for having seen that.

“Though, sadly,” a regretful smile fills Rina’s face as pulls her hand back from her maid’s chest. Much to Vera’s disappointment. “I must abstain from such entertainment today. My duty to Raseyne does not end in my absence from the city. There is still plenty of deskwork to be done. Letters to pen, forms to fill...” The half-Elf sighs and gently peels the clingy maid from her side. “The sooner I deal with my work, the sooner I will be able relax. So I will be in the bedroom, doing just that. But first...”

Krvavy raises an eyebrow as Rina reaches into a fold in her dress – a hidden pocket, apparently – and pulls out two golden coins, handing them over to the barbarian.

“I had promised a pay of two crowns per week that you spend away from your home, and it took you approximately a week to arrive in Raseyne, yes? So here is the first of your payments.”

Much as the name suggests, both coins have the image of a crown pressed into their faces. While Krvavy doesn’t exactly remember how much a single crown is worth, she does know that just one of these is worth more than all the other coins she brought with her on this trip. “Thanks.” She idly responds, struggling to get her coin purse out from between her new loincloth belt and the thick hip plate hanging over it.

“Now,” the Countess pauses in front of the sliding door. “Vera, be a dear and keep your fellow employee occupied. Play a game together. Get to know each other.”

“Yes, my Lady...” The albino maid nearly grumbles out, keeping her tone steady even as her pale pink eyes make her true feelings known.

The door to the bedroom softly clicks as it is opened, and then again when it is shut.

Vera abruptly stands up. “Move.” She coldly orders, tapping the tip of her shoe again against Krvavy’s shin. Once the Drakling has scooted to the side, she kneels down and pulls a thick wooden board out from beneath the couch. It unfolds with a faint squeak – causing her pouty lips to twitch down in a frown – filling up most of the space between the different parts of the couch as sturdy legs swing down from the flat top. Said legs click into place as Vera sets the whole thing onto the floor.

Krvavy blinks as the maid gives this now unfolded table a quick wipe with a cloth.

Without a word, Vera turns and struts out of the room, only to return a few seconds later with a box in hand. A box that she places onto the table and immediately begins to unpack, revealing a rectangle checkered board along with ornately sculpted pieces made of polished ivory and ebony. Faint tapping sounds fill the air as she sets everything in place.

Krvavy’s brow furrows slightly as she looks over the board. Most of the pieces are familiar to those of the chess-like game she has played with her girls. There is a recognizable king and queen. Two pairs of what are obviously bishops and knights. There is what appears to be a rook, if the large tower shields are anything to go by, in all four corners of the board. Each side has a line of ten pawns. And nestled between the knights and bishops are a couple, completely unrecognizable, pieces. “What are these?”

Vera narrows her eyes as the Drakling’s finger presses into a hooded, robed figure. “The Mage, the Court Wizard.” She coldly replies, sighing faintly as she sees the slightly confused expression her answer had drawn out. “They can move onto a small ‘v’ centered on the third tile out in all four of the cardinal directions. Three tiles forwards, or four tiles forwards and one to either side. Tiles that are the opposite colour to what the Mage is on that turn.”

“Okay...” Krvavy slowly nods her head, ignoring the maid’s increasingly condescending tone. That piece feels like it’ll be a bit annoying, but not too complicated to deal with.

“It, like the Knight,” the albino maid’s gloved finger points to one of the figures on horseback, “can jump over other pieces. The Pawn,” she pokes one of the many small figures with spears, “can advance two tiles on its first move, and only one thereafter, capturing diagonally.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve played a similar –”

“Are you aware of warding?” Vera interrupts, her pale pink eyes narrowing as she seemingly searches for any reason to be critical of Krvavy. “Where King jumps three tiles to either side, moving the Warder,” she taps a rook, “to the adjacent tile closer to the center?”

“Again, yeah.” The Drakling dryly returns, starting to get fed up with this girl’s attitude. “It can only be done if neither piece has moved yet and there are no other pieces in the way.” She adds, hoping that only the name is different. The rooks don’t look like little castles, so calling it ‘castling’ wouldn’t exactly make sense.

Vera scowls, wordlessly turning the set board so that the white pieces are closer to her and the black to Krvavy. She moves a pawn two tiles forwards.

Krvavy sighs and shakes her head. This is going to be a long trip, isn’t it...? She moves a knight, and –

The carriage tilts back slightly. Not enough to make the pieces slide across the board, but enough to just be noticeable.

“We are crossing the West Bridge.” Vera plainly states, sounding almost bored as she immediately moves another pawn.

Not particularly into this odd game of chess, Krvavy turns to look out the window. They do indeed appear to be crossing a bridge, a rather large one that seems to stretch across a wide and swampy riverbed. It honestly seems a bit disproportional with how little water is actually down there.

“Did you think that Raseyne was founded in the middle of nowhere?” The albino maid sneers at the Drakling. “The river Ras is why my Lady’s city is out here.”

“It’s... not much of a river.” The barbarian blandly points out. “Looks more like a floodplain than anything.”

“That is because it is past the height of summer. The Ras is fed by runoff from the mountains to our south, which are growing cooler as autumn approaches.” Vera explains, speaking in a tone that you’d use when speaking to an idiot child that you honestly hate. “It, in turn, feeds into a larger, more consistent, river which reaches all the way to the sea. Now take your turn.” She impatiently drums her fingers on the table.

Krvavy sighs and pulls the blinds shut.