Tales of the Wastelander Ch. 38 - Teaser (Patreon)

“Keep it cool, everyone,” Jarx said, his voice calm and steady as he reminded them. “We don’t want to draw any unnecessary attention.”

The mercenaries walked through the streets, their expressions carefree. They looked like any other group of friends enjoying a leisurely stroll, their loot hidden away and their true purpose concealed. As they moved deeper into the city, the sense of urgency began to fade, replaced by a growing sense of accomplishment.

“Think anyone will come looking for the man we left behind? Anyone from the more honest lot of this city?” Yasha asked, falling into step beside Snahrk.

“By the time they do, we’ll be long gone,” Snahrk replied with a smirk. “And richer for it.”

The group continued their leisurely pace, navigating through the reclaimed streets of D’troi with ease. They were still learning about the city, its twists and turns, its safe routes and hidden corners, staying alert as they moved. While they were a confident lot, there was still much about the city they didn’t know, and they needed to be wary.

They all knew that overconfidence was a weakness that could be exploited, which they knew of all too well. The group had all seen former masters and employers of theirs be brought down due to overconfidence. They believed themselves infallible, untouchable, deeming all threats inconsequential. It wasn’t long after that was when they all met their demise, a fate each merc there wished to avoid at all costs.

As they turned a corner and took another street, the shop behind them faded from view. The mercenaries, now safely away from the scene, breathed much easier, as they were now beyond immediate suspicion. They meandered on, staying as obscure as they could, given the hour, and just kept moving along.

As the mercenary company strolled through the streets of D’troi, Jarx’s eyes caught sight of a man standing by the entrance to a tavern. It was the same man who had spoken to them at Shokwerk’s and told them how they would be admitted to the Flesh Fair. The man, dressed in a long coat with a fedora casting shadows over his face, made eye contact with Jarx and raised an eyebrow in silent inquiry.

Jarx gave a slight, nonchalant shrug in response, his expression unreadable. The man nodded, a thin smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He seemed pleased to see that Jarx and his band of mercenaries weren’t the squeamish type. As they passed each other, the man leaned in close to Jarx, whispering something to him that only Jarx could hear.

“Invitation honored.”

“Thank you,” Jarx whispered back, his lips curling into a satisfied smile

The man continued on his way, disappearing into the shadows behind the group, leaving Jarx with a sense of accomplishment. Once they were well away from the shop and any potential prying eyes, Jarx gathered his mercenaries in a quiet alley. The group huddled close, wondering what their boss had to say.

“We’re in! Our invitation is going to be honored, so we have no worries about getting in,” Jarx breathed, which brought smiles to everyone’s faces.

“Getting in will be the easy part. It’s getting out that’s going to be trouble,” Snahrk reasoned.

“That it will be, but let us say no more of this, until we are in a place where we can speak… unobserved, and unheard,” Jarx grinned.

The group nodded then stepped out into the daylight, making their way back to Shokwerk’s where they had rooms for the next few nights. They moved along, grabbing some street east as they went, as each one of them was hungry after a fashion. The group reached the tavern in less than an hour, all of them ready to get down to business.