Unionised - Sowing the Seeds of Justice

Chapter 2

Garrick descended the same staircase he had come up not ten minutes ago. Below was a young woman he recognised and felt his skin shiver. It is unusual for a slight human woman to strike fear into the heart of a half-orc male of his stature, but this woman was entirely different. Her blonde hair was held in the same perfect plait down the left side of her back. Her amethyst eyes glittered with arcane fire and the stern look of disapproval on her face seemed to emanate its own terrifying aura. Garrick knew very little about her, except that she was a necromancer by trade and a damned good one at that. Well, that and her name: Miriam Everglove.

"Ah, Mr Draxon, glad you could finally join us." Everglove announced, not looking up. That was another reason why Garrick didn't like witches, their uncanny ability to somehow know everything that was happening around them without really needing to see it. It creeped him out more than anything else.

Garrick climbed down the stairs silently and sat at the table with Miriam. At the table as well were a number of other guild members. Some of them Garrick had seen around, but others were total strangers.There was a tall looking human, dark skinned and with piercing eyes. The same shadow elf he had seen earlier was now awake, alert and sat at the table as well. A hooded figure perched on the end of one of the chairs, the vague hints of femininity hidden beneath her cloak. A small woman, under four feet tall easily stood on one of the chairs, still unable to rest her hands on the table. All five of them sat around the table in silence while Miriam pulled a small series of parchments from her bag. She dropped them onto the table, one for everyone except Garrick.

"We have a job for you five." Miriam began. "Simple enough, check what's happening, put a stop to it if you can, if not try and make your way back here and get reinforcements. Some of the traders here in Sal Salfaarim have been having a few problems. Some of the supply lines to the west have been cut off and no one's really sure why. They asked the Golden Guard to have a look, but they laughed them off. Thankfully, Captain Hadin pointed them in our direction. This is a twofold operation ladies and gentlemen, and it will require you to be at the top of your game if this is to succeed. Naturally your first objective is to find out what is happening to the supply lines. The second is to make as many people along the way as possible know what it is you are doing. This is an act of heroism, let's make sure people know precisely what it is that you're doing."

Everyone looked over their paperwork except Garrick.The halfling beside him looked over to him and shunted over slightly.

"Here, you can share mine." She smiled at him amiably.

Garrick started slightly before turning to the tiny woman beside him. He looked down at the pages, the scratches and lines that made up the words on it swimming in front of his eyes. He danced over the pages, eyes darting from corner to centre to corner again, unable to make out anything meaningful on it. After a few seconds he shook his head and had to lean back a little before he got too dizzy. The halfling looked at him, very confused, asking if she was holding the paper too close or too far away for him?

"He can't read, Breena." The shadow elf chimed in. The halfling, Breena, pulled the paper back, a look of abject shame all over her face. She started stammering apologies and how she never would have done that if she had known. Garrick started to shift uncomfortably, telling the diminutive creature that it was fine, she couldn't have known, all the while feeling the eyes of everyone in the hall on him, berating him for his ill education. He felt his anger building in him, until a delicate hand landed on his shoulder. It was the same shadow elf.

"Worry not, friend." The elf spoke softly, his light blue skin almost glittering in the light from the stained glass windows. "Tis often an unnecessary skill in our line of work, why would one waste their time deciphering the scribblings of madmen and know it alls when they can be better honing their skills. It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword, but you my friend, I doubt you have met a poem that was so powerfully written as to block an axe. Would that be true?"