Side Story: First Impressions

Side Story: First Impressions

Avery looked at his regional leaderboard with a big sigh. He had moved down a spot, which was mildly annoying, since it threw him out of the top ten. But then again, at least the newcomer held a very high spot. After all, the Voice of Order wasn't exactly an unknown name.

"<Appraisal>, how could this happen?" he asked, a little sarcastically.

[The individual has failed to meet sufficient qualifications for fame.]

"Thank you, <Appraisal>."

[The individual is very welcome. They are encouraged to increase their attempts to foster a reputation.]

"I hate you so much," Avery smirked into his fist. He was sitting in his office and had been anxiously waiting for this day to come for a while now. The announcement that the head priestess of the Church of Order would come to Stormbraver had come three pages ago, which was quite a while, and yet every single day that passed he had gotten nervous.

After all, she was known as one of the three walking Disasters. That certainly didn't exactly bode well. In fact, her place on the fame leaderboard was quite high, being second as of right now, but her place on the infamy leaderboard was high enough to rival that at third.

Avery shook his head at that. To be able to hold two high spots meant someone was a very controversial figure, and he didn't quite like controversial people. It usually meant they had both good and bad attributes, and that was troublesome. Troublesome people were exhausting, and being exhausted made him do his work sloppily.

He took a bite of raisin bread to calm his stomach a little. He chewed, swallowed, and then devoured about three small loafs in the same amount of time it might take one to drink a glass of water. A normal person, at least.

Once again, Avery sighed. Today was going to be a long day. "Marcel!" he called out into the hallway, and the receptionist that had been standing guard outside his office quickly stepped in, taking the unlit charr out of his mouth. At least he was considerate when he knew that the day was going to be much harder on Avery than on him.

"What is it, boss?" the younger man asked, his hands behind his back.

"I need you to do me a favour. Highly important, classified, and definitely risky," Avery said seriously, leaning forward and entangling his hands with his elbows on the desk.

"It's about bread, isn't it?"

"Damn it Marcel, at least let me make a damn joke," Avery replied, his frown deepening.

Contrary to that, a smile sprouted on Marcel's face. "Oh, I hardly take it as a joke," he said, in his customer service voice. "Of course, your issue will be treated with the utmost care and secrecy, to be taken care of as well as Foss' mealplan."

"I hate you, Marcel," Avery said.

"Of course," the receptionist nodded with a smile. "So, how much bread do I need?"

"Three bakery's worth," his guildmaster answered.

"Got it, I'll buy out five," Marcel grinned back.

"Thanks," Avery gave a wry smile, taking his eyes back to his desk as the door closed again. What else would he need to pack for such an important meeting? He had water. He was going to have bread. With a little bit of luck they'd have some alcohol at the meeting, to at least calm his nerves somewhat.

Having someone very important visit was a blessing and a curse after all. On one hand, it might make their city more attractive, which would be great for commerce, and terrible for any and all nobles, since they'd have to see more commoners. That in and of itself was good. But it also might paint a target on their back, and if the head priestess was as bad as he had heard, then quite frankly, it would be a chore to keep her satisfied.

So really, he wasn't nervous on behalf of himself, but rather on behalf of the city. Avery really hoped this would go well for Stormbraver, but there was by no means any guarantee of that.

Still, all he could do was show up as prepared as possible. He gave his <Diplomacy> ability a quick glance, but it was still at level 5, just as it had been last time. A little disappointing, but he'd have to make due. Hopefully it would be enough.

Slowly, the man leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms out behind him and groaning. Once more he made sure he was as prepared as could be, it was going to be a long day after all.

- - - - - -

Lucia looked at the regional leaderboard with a smile. She was high up here as she was in most other areas. Though the infamy did put a frown on her face. The only thing she found sad was that Iris did not take the place at her side on that list, no matter how much she asked.

"Are you really sure you do not want your name to be known?" she asked her aide again, just to make sure.

"More than certain, m'lady," Iris replied calmly, wearing a slight smile. Today, she was even more beautiful than ever, and Lucia smiled at the sight. She preferred Iris' tranquil and mellow beauty to her own. The flowing black dress with little in the ways of decoration was made to simply be aesthetic, rather than to stand out, accentuating her pale, pink eyes rather well.

All the things on her aide indicated beauty that was pleasing, rather than overbearing. Herself, on the other hand, was radiant. Wearing white and gold, to the colour of her hair, her emerald eyes piercing the world. All over her clothes were stitchings and decorations. She hated them.

But then again, all in the name of order. she was a high priestess, and flaunting the church's wealth in a new place was nothing but the usual order of business. She was, in fact, quite curious about what kind of committee would come to meet her. After all, the council leading the Nevarzahri Aristocracy was rather old, and she doubted many of its members were fit enough to come out and have a chat with someone known to be as... prone to outbursts as her.

The thought made her smile and frown a little at the same time. Really, people had so little faith in her control of her emotions. But she also frowned, after all, they did have a handful of compelling reasons to expect an outburst from her.

At the very least, she had Iris with her. That much was already a huge relief. She smiled slightly, before looking away in embarrassment, noticing that as her thoughts drifted on, her eyes had been glued to her closest comrade for the last few minutes.

"Fine then, have it your way," Lucia finally answered the conversation she had started before, then quickly crossed her arms and averted her gaze, instead looking out the carriage window.

This prompted a slight chuckle from Iris. After all, given how long she and Lucia had been together, she knew very well how boring the high priestess found the rolling hills in these lands. "They all look the same," she always said.

"M'lady, it is simply important that I remain an aide to you," she said with a light smile. "I wish not for fame or honour, I simply wish to be by your side when you need me. Or always. Either is fine, really." Maybe rather always, she thought.

"Then promise me that much, at least," Lucia asked, still gazing out the window.

"I promise, m'lady," Iris replied calmly. "I will always do my best to stay by your side."

"Me too," Lucia replied.

After that, silence hung in the carriage for a long while. After all, making casual conversation after something such as this was always a little awkward, even between lovers.

Eventually though, Lucia cleared her throat. "So, uhm, who am I actually meeting today?" She opened a single eyes, glancing at Iris.

"Well, a few people are lined up to come and welcome you. Of course, all of them are quite integral to the city. I believe that a certain popular count may be there, to at least represent the city's noble faction. Then of course we must expect the guildmaster of the merchants', seekers' and mages' guild. Foss of the merchants. He has no surname, used to live poorly according to our intel."

"The seekers?" Lucia asked.

"Avery Beckham, also known as "Lightfoot". A good administrator, if sometimes reluctant, and more of a fighter. He may seem hot blooded, but according to what we have heard, he is anything but. Rather, he seems quite calculating while also being sociable."

"So he is dangerous then?"

"He could very well be," Iris nodded a little. "However, I do not believe he will make us too much trouble. He cares about his city deeply, and most likely will try to create at least somewhat of a good relationship with us," she explained.

"That is relief," Lucia said.

"Indeed. Then there is Esmeya Raventhorn, master of the mages' guild. She seems to be playful but quite protective of her guild as well. Still, once agian she seems to be a person in good standing with the common populace, so we most likely do not need to be wary of her."

"Once again, I am relieved to hear that. Now tell me then, who do I need to be careful of?" Lucia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The noble," Iris said, without batting an eye. "They are struggling for power against the guilds already, and we can expect quite some pushback when a new force enters the battle. Our church has held little sway in the city up until now after all, and it is unlikely that they would wish to give up on their dwindling power now."

"I see," the high priestess nodded. "The council?"

"They will act in the best interest of the city. We can expect some support, and some pushback. It is hard to predict who we will see, so I cannot tell you much, no matter how it saddens me. We can predict, however, that at least two members of the council will show up," Iris said.

"How so?"

"Quite frankly, they hardly ever act on their own. In fact, the only times they do so is when it comes to matters that barely qualify to require them, or when it is only their authority that is needed. Whenever an actual decision must be made, there will be multiple of them."

"I see. That much is to be expected from a council, I suppose," Lucia said, scoffing lightly. "Anything else you can tell me ahead of time?"

"Other than that, we will simply have to see," the woman in black said with a clam smile. "Though I can assure you, I have made as many preparations as I can. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask me. Of course, that includes more than enough chilled tea to calm your flames if need be."

With that small reassurance, a small smile found its way on Lucia's lips as well. "Thank you Iris," she said.

"As always," the aide replied.

"Then I will always thank you."

- - -

The remainder of their journey went quite smoothly, largely in comfortable silence. They passed the city gates with no issue, and if Lucia had been looking outside, she may have seen the guards bow. But of course, she wasn't, and so, their gesture of respect fell on deaf ears. Well, not really ears, more like unseeing eyes. You get the gist of it.

Shortly after that, her and Iris arrived at the place where the meeting would be held, the largest of the offices in city hall. On the way there, Lucia saw quite a few attendants, though fewer than she would have expected. Perhaps most of them would be inside the room, rather than outside of it. In fact, the entire building was quite empty, especially given the fact that most legal disputes were apparently settled there.

Still, the priestess didn't exactly mind. They were received by a kind young man, who brought them into the chamber where everything would be held. The table there was set with glass and various drinks, and a small buffet of snacks was prepared off to the side. Largely small slices of bread with various toppings, like cheese and thin slices of meat.

However, the people at the table caught her eye much more than that. There were two seats still empty, probably one for her and one for Iris, since she had insisted her maid sit at the table in the letter she had sent, yet all the other seats were already occupied.

There was a seemingly relaxed man with dark skin, his hair in dreadlocks. He was wearing sunglasses and leaning back far in his chair, hands crossed behind his head, and a smile revealing white teeth on his face. Behind him, there was another man, this one slightly less tall, with brown hair and unassuming hazel eyes.

In the seat that was next to Lucia's, there was a much more properly dressed man in a suit, with sharp, unrelenting eyes, whose gaze seemed to bore into her as soon as she had entered. Accompanying this one there was a woman, equally well dressed, but her hair slightly messy, as though she had scratched her head a little too much. Lucia looked at her and saw a glint of madness in those eyes.

Still, there were more. The one person she was confident in recognizing, apparently Foss, was currently putting three of the little breads from his plate into his mouth, chewing quite audibly. In fact, his chewing was all that rang out in the room. Behind him stood an older woman, Lucia would even have called her a lady, with well brushed hair, and a stern face, yet a kind glint of humor in her eyes. She, to the priestess, seemed perhaps the most human in here.

Finally, there were two more people, both in their later years. One of them a man, with eyebrows thick enough to wholly hide his eyes, and a magnificent mustache. His back was hunched, and a walking cane leaned against his chair. He did not have anyone behind him, just like the woman next to him.

That one wore a purple suit, with slightly brighter stripes going up to down. Her face was long, with high cheekbones, but sunken in skin. She seemed... somewhat tired, yet resolute and proud, her gaze never meeting the floor, and always someone's eyes.

Finally, across from the relaxed looking man, there was another woman, with jet black hair, and curious, green eyes. She wore flowing mage robes, a downsized version of which also hung on the small woman behind her. A young looking lady with cool blue hair, and eyes that seemed to be clouded by... well, it was either thoughts or plain sleepiness, Lucia couldn't quite pinpoint it. In any case, they were almost white, making her pupils look tiny in comparison.

"You must be from the city council?" Lucia asked as she sat down, gesturing towards the two people she would have clearly pinged as the oldest at the table.

"Yes, quite. I believe introductions are in order?" the woman of the two replied, a smile soon placed on her lips as she tapped the man's side.

"Hm? Ah, yes, I quite agree. I am Gorm Gorm, son of Gorm," the old man said, stroking his mustache.

"Thank you, I am Veronica Abselm, of the city council just like this old man next to me," the lady in purple replied, and the old man next to her decided to simply nod along, not uttering a complaint.

"Ah, it is good to finally meet you," Lucia replied with a smile. "I am Lucia, the 'Voice of Order'."

"It is good to finally meet you," the well-dressed man with the unhinged attendant said from across the table, "I am count I'htar, here to welcome you in the name of Stormbraver's noble faction." Lucia had expected him to reach out and try to shake her hand, but luckily he refrained from anything like that. He did however shoot her a cunning smile, more like that of a fox than a human.

"I am Fosch," the rather well fed man said in between bites. "Master of the Merchants' guild. Vice-master Nira is behind me."

"I greet thee, head priestess," the kind-eyed woman said with a smile, and bowed her head.

"My pleasure," Lucia replied with a smile. Then, she looked around the room for the next person to introduce themselves.

The literally laid back man quickly took a glance at the woman in mage's robes. "You first?" he asked.

"Of course. Master of the Mages' guild in Stormbraver, Esmeya Raventhorn. Here as well, our vice-master is behind me."

For a moment, the room was silent, waiting for the small woman to introduce herself, when Esmeya lightly tapped her. "Hm? Oh, yes, exactly, I am our tower's vice-master, at your service!" she said and bowed.

Another pause.

"That is quite kind of you," Iris assured her. "But I believe we have yet to catch your name?"

"Ah, yes, it is Akuhl. Akuhl Trivela. Apologies," she added bowing her head again.

"It is of no issue," Veronica, the councilwoman said, giving her a small wave.

"I'm Avery Beckham," the laid back man finally introduced himself, flicking two fingers away from his head, "master of the Godseekers' guild in Stormbraver. I hope your journey here was pleasant?" He probably would have given her a smile after all that if one hadn't already been on his face.

Lucia took a moment to eye the two people standing next to the table who had not been introduced yet, before giving a nod. "It was eventless," she told Avery. The brown haired man was probably something of an assistant, rather than someone who needed an introduction, and the woman behind the count seemed like a bodyguard.

Quite strange to bring such personnel to a meeting, but then again, she also had Iris with her.

Right, Iris!

"Ah, I believe I left my attendant entirely unannounced. She is Iris Belrose, a long time friend of mine. I ask you to treat her the same way you would me," she requested, and upon her introduction, Iris gave a very slight wave.

"I believe that settles everyone in attendance, then," Veronica said. "Shall we get down to business?"

"Yes, of course," Lucia agreed. "If there are any questions you have, feel free to ask anything."

- - - - - -

Avery looked at the woman in white with a little curiosity. So far, things had not been too bad, but this question felt a little like it could light a powderkeg. Luckily, no one had openly disrespected her. Maybe she was also in a good mood with her maid present, the two of them seemed rather close.

He let out a small amount of breath, too little to even qualify as a sigh, but enough for him to let out some pressure. Hopefully no one would go and immediately aggravate the priestess.

"How long are you perhaps intending to stay, high priestess?" count I'htar asked, as if trying to provoke her, and Avery almost spat out his water.

"Why, our departure date has not been set yet, dear count," Lucia replied calmly, but Avery could tell she wasn't. After all, with his senses, he felt it. The heat radiating from her had gone up just a tiny amount, and he was sure her voice trembled slightly. For a second, he even thought he had seen a vein on her forehead.

"May I ask the reason for this question?" she added after a short pause.

"Well, it is simply so that I know when I can prepare an adequate welcoming for you to meet the other nobles. If you were only intending to stay for a short while, I would have to begin preparations fairly soon, after all," he explained himself, his hands clasped together.

"Oh, and if I stay longer, perhaps you wish to wait with such procedures? Am I, perchance, an inconvenience to you?" the priestess fired back immediately, and this time it was quite obvious she was displeased.

"Certainly not!" the count exclaimed. "That is not at all what I was trying to insinuate, you misunderstand me. I had simply thought that you might wish to rest and settle in the city before needing to mingle if your stay is a longer one."

"We appreciate the concern, count," Iris replied, much more calm than her lady, and it made Avery literally feel a stone fall from his heart. The fool of a noble had almost ruined things again, and it was perhaps the first time Avery was happy about him being such a conniving weasel.

"Certainly," Lucia agreed with her Maid after a sip of cold drink. "But do not worry, simply send us an invitation whenever festivities are prepared," she added.

Avery had to give it to her, this wasn't too stupid. She was mad at the count, and instead of going violent decided to simply challenge him. She was saying to demonstrate how high she was on his priority list. For just a moment, his smile grew deeper.

"Then, is the church thinking of an expansion with your visit?" Foss asked her, perhaps thinking he might nail a construction contract here.

"Naught but a small change to the structure. My personal chambers have almost finished being installed in the upper parts of the building, only really missing windows."

"If you wish to purchase-"

"I am certain the bishop has things under control," Lucia interrupted the merchant, placing a frown on his face.

Avery smirked a little as the people of the table took turns asking the newcomer their questions. Would anything change about how sermons were held for their believers? How often would she appear in public? Were there any plans for other prominent members of the church to come here?

"May I ask you something, voice?" Avery took his turn to speak up.

"Of course, master Beckham," Lucia replied, turning her attention to him.

"How do you stand on the war we are fighting against Evlenor?" he asked. Perhaps poignant, but he needed to know if he was to make sure Stormbraver remained save.

"A fair question. Our church does not really take sides, but we believe in protecting our believers. As our foothold in Nevarzahri is far stronger than in the north, we are generally more inclined to help your side out. Of course, for the duration of my stay in this city, I shall do my best to protect it," Lucia explained, giving something of a verbal promise that let Avery calm down a little.

He was sure that it would certainly cause problems further down the line, at least small ones, given that "protecting the city" could also mean interfering with the legal system where they found it important, but that was an issue for him to tackle in the future. He was certain Veronica had picked up on it though, and with a little luck, the old lady would start preparing.

"Glad to hear it," the seeker simply answered, leaning back in his chair a little.

A few more talks happened. It was scheduled for Lucia to come by the Mages' Guild and show some of her spells off, and Foss promised to send some merchants to chat with the bishop. The count set to preparing a welcoming ceremony, and Avery hoped he'd spend as much of his wealth as possible, the damn hoarder.

At the very least, having done this talk, the priestess felt much more human to Avery. Sure, she wasn't completely normal, getting angry fast and being pretty arrogant, but he'd met far, far worse. Looking at the geezers from the council, it seemed they felt the same as him.

When the meeting came to an end, he got up, cracked his back, and was able to walk out with a thin smile on the lips, where he found the priestess again.

"Voice?" he called out to her, waiting for her to face him. "I know you just arrived, but if you have a second, how about I introduce you to the people from my guild? You can find me there if you ever need any help getting settled and stuff. Iris is allowed with you, of course."

A very thin smile placed itself on Lucia's lips. "Well, master Beckham, that is indeed a polite offer of yours. I feel as though we might get along very well. As long as Iris is fine with everything?"

The maid gave a quick nod, and Avery's smile widened.

"Alright then," he grinned, "let's have a drink or four."