By the time Jadis got back to the new headquarters later that afternoon, most everyone else except for Nevan and Orla had already returned. With all of the shopping she, Sabina, and Sorcha had done, Jadis felt like they’d accomplished a great deal. Most everything that Sabina had needed to set up her workshop had been bought and would be delivered the next day, and everything that they couldn’t outright buy had been ordered. The biggest expense was the actual forge that needed to be constructed, but fortunately they’d found a craftsman who specialized in the making of forges who was able to start construction right away. They’d also purchased a great deal of lumber and other supplies that were generally used by herbalists and alchemists, so Sorcha could set up her own little workshop for growing and processing herbs and other useful plants. Even if she wasn’t the kind of herbalist who knew how to make potions and poultices, Jadis figured Sorcha could sell or trade her crop to other alchemists in exchange for fully processed goods.
Or maybe Sorcha might develop something better? Who was to say? It cost Jadis little to enable the goblin to be able to put her first class to work. She saw no reason not to help her grow if she was interested.
Everyone else had accomplished their missions as well, Jadis was happy to see, though the one who surprised her the most was Alex. Jadis hadn’t actually worried too much about cleaning up the old building. She figured it was the kind of thing that could be done in stages as they worked on refurbishing the place. However, upon her return, she found that the main open hall of the building had been transformed. Every surface was spotless, not a crumb of dust or smudge of dirt to be seen anywhere. The stone of the floors and walls actually shone, like they’d been polished to a mirror shine, and even the ceiling was a brighter color from being cleaned.
Gunnar had been at the door to greet her and when she’d asked how he, Tegwyn, and Alex had managed to clean so much so quickly, he’d demurred and directed her to check on the third floor.
“That is possibly the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen,” Syd said under her breath as she watched Alex make her way across the floor.
“You should have seen her when she was on the ceiling,” Tegwyn laughed. “That was a much stranger sight, I assure you!”
Alex lay on her back, her human parts completely horizontal. She looked as stiff as a board, her body basically planking. Her tentacles, both the big ones and the medium ones that could retract out of her back, were all spread out in a halo around her on the ground. The tentacles were propelling her across the floor, scooting her along at about the speed of a slow walk. Each one had a rag at the end and as she swept around the room her tentacles scrubbed at the floor with the rags and cleaning cloths. Alex’s two larger, monstrous arms each held a bucket in one hand and different tentacles would occasionally dip their rag into a bucket to wet and wring it out before continuing to clean and polish.
“Hello… Jadis…” Alex said as she passed her by. “Almost… Done…”
“Here, change out,” Tegwyn called as he held out two fresh buckets. Alex took the buckets from the Dryad, passing him the two that were filled with dirty water before continuing on her way. “I’ve never had to mop a floor before,” Teg commented as he hefted the two buckets. “But Alex makes it look easy.”
“Okay, so she’s a Demonic Roomba now,” Syd shook her head before turning her attention to other matters. “Anyway. Anything happen while we were gone I should know about?”
Tegwyn looked confused for a moment, but then he shrugged and simply carried on.
“Nothing of great note. Several workers from the neighboring businesses came by to greet us and gawk, but Gunnar proved adept at politely shooing them away.”
“That’s good,” Syd nodded appreciatively. “Anything else?”
“I spotted a few children playing around the back edge of the storage yard,” he shrugged dismissively. “I’m not entirely sure how they got in, but they scurried away like mice when they saw me coming to check on them.”
“Well, we should check that out then,” Syd frowned. “If there’s a hole in the wall somewhere, we’ll need to patch it. I don’t want some kid to get hurt by accident. Workshops can be dangerous, especially with all the fire and metal that Sabina will be dealing with.”
“And if mice can get in, other, less savory, pests might sneak in as well,” Tegwyn smirked with a glint in his eye. “Never fear. I’ll root out their route.”
“Thanks Teg,” Syd grinned at the man as she clapped her hand to his shoulder.
About that time the two gnomes returned from their tour around the city’s most popular spots for mercenaries to hang out. The two had found leads on lower-CLR mercenaries that could fit in with the company, but pickings were slim. Most mercenaries were out in the field, fighting Demons. Those who were in the city were mostly the sort who were either uninterested in putting themselves in that kind of danger or had well-paying jobs already that had brought them to the capital for one reason or another. There were still some mercs that were in town simply to rest and recuperate like Nevan and Orla had been, so there was still hope of finding a few people to hire.
There was also the possibility of hiring those who had just unlocked their primary class. That would be a risk, though, since such individuals would be young and inexperienced. Per Aila, they would have to show great promise to be worth investing in, though their low level could also be a selling point in their favor. If Jadis was willing to spend some time doing so, she could power-level new recruits quickly and efficiently, just as she had done for Aila back in Weigrun. There were many who would trade a great deal of gold for the opportunity to skip months of leveling.
With most everything that could be accomplished done, Jadis and her companions retired for the day. Hans agreed to stay in the new headquarters rather than go back to Vraekae’s residence that night, just so that someone was around to make sure no one broke into the building now that a lot of their travel supplies had been moved into it. So long as he had a bedroll and a fire to cook, he could make do.
Over the next several days, Jadis and her crew spent most of their time at the new base, working together to set it up for the company’s use. Aside from the renovations, they also prepared for the ball Eir’s parents were holding in Jadis’ honor. It was only a few days away, and would be held at Trummelton’s, the same restaurant that Jadis and her companions had taken Aila’s parents to. The big difference was, though, that Eir’s parents had rented out the whole building for their ball, which had to be an utterly ridiculous expense from how much just dinner for a dozen people had cost Jadis. Since it would not only be a fancy dinner but also a ball, the nice clothes that had already been made for Jadis just wouldn’t do and Aurea and her priestesses were constantly pestering Jadis and her lovers to do fittings and measurements.
Aside from the new base and prep for the ball, there were other various duties that vied for her attention. For one, Jadis had to attend another temple greeting event, this time in a district on the other side of the city that was more on the upper-class scale of living. The people who came to greet her still asked a lot of questions, many of which she had to politely not answer, though she made sure to clarify any rumors that she heard regarding Alex. Many more gifts were pressed upon her, enough that Jadis wasn’t wholly comfortable taking them all, though the fact that most of the people who came to the temple looked like the kind who could afford the expense helped ease her conscience.
Jadis also visited the High Temple of Ulya to spend some time speaking with Vita. The temple was just as large as the other temples in the district, however, once inside, it felt much smaller. Jadis quickly realized that it was because, rather than being filled with huge halls and wide-open spaces, the temple had been modeled to look like a comfortable and cozy home on the inside. Walking the temple corridors felt no different from walking through the hallway of a particularly nice residence, especially since the décor lacked any extravagant statues or opulent decorations. The temple simply felt warm, which was a pleasant consideration in Jadis’ opinion, since so many of the people who were coming and going were injured folk seeking treatment.
The priests and priestesses of Ulya tended to be the best healers, with their classes focused on recovery and restoration. Many soldiers who had injuries that couldn’t be treated by the clerics on the battlefield were transported back to Eldingholt where the priests could perform rituals to heal them. The rituals were more time-consuming, but ultimately more powerful and effective. Considering how many people were coming to the temple for treatment, Jadis was surprised at how few priests were actually in the temple compared to Lyssandria or Metethys. Not that the halls were empty, just that there was a lot less than Jadis would have hoped to see.
Vita was the only high priestess of Ulya in the city, though not the only one in the empire. While there weren’t that many of Ulya’s priests in the temple with Vita, there were far more of the goddess’ avatars running around than Jadis expected. At least twenty of the flame-furred felines prowled the cozy halls of the temple, each one emitting a warm, soothing glow. When Jadis asked about it, Vita explained that unlike the rest of the avatar races, Lares gave birth to litters and so tended to have a higher population on average. Many of the fire cats that wandered the halls were actually Vita’s children and grandchildren.
“Where’s your husband?” Jay asked, then balked as she realized that the question could have been insensitive. “Or, uh, if that’s not something you want to talk about—”
“On the front lines to the east,” Vita purred, not bothered at all by the inquiry. “Cato is not a high priest, but he is a powerful cleric who can both heal and fight. He stays with the army, doing what he can to soothe the wounds inflicted upon the noble soldiers who fight the dark tide that seeks to sweep us away. I miss him, but he is a man of duty. He will not sit idly in the safety of the capital while others suffer on the battlefield.”
“Sounds like a good guy,” Jay nodded. “I personally would love to be out there like him rather than loitering around here. No offense.”
“I know,” Vita smiled warmly. “It is in your nature to be proactive. A fine trait. But taking some time to rest is necessary, even for the very strong. Enjoy the quiet moments when you can. You may not always have the luxury when you need it.”
“You’re right,” Jay agreed, “who knows what’ll happen once I’m back out there fighting. I just think I’d enjoy my time here if there were less… politics getting in the way.”
“Assuredly,” the Lares laughed as she settled onto her elevated plush chair with her paws tucked under her body in a bread loaf shape that frankly looked adorable. “I would as well! But even the Gods cannot escape politics. If they cannot avoid the practice, what chance do we have?”
Jay shrugged helplessly, seeing Vita’s point. There really was no getting around it. So long as there was more than one person in a place, there would be politics.
“Politics aside, I was wondering if there was any chance you could do me a favor.”
“If it is within my power, young Jadis, I will strive to accommodate you.”
“Eir has been helping with the healing around here, what with all the soldiers that are sent off the line for more serious treatment,” Jay started, referring to her lover’s volunteer activities when not otherwise engaged. “I don’t know a lot about how things are organized in the temples here, but she told me that in order for a person to get a missing limb regenerated, they have to get on a list.”
“That is true,” Vita nodded in confirmation. “There are a limited number of priests who are capable of such spells. Most can only cast the spell or ritual once a day, sometimes only once a week depending on the spell and class. The number of souls who need our help always far outstrips the number we can handle.”
“That makes sense,” Jay nodded, already having been told pretty much the same by her elven lover. “So, with that said, I’m not going to take offense if you say no to my request. But I still feel like I have to ask. I have two friends who both lost limbs during our expedition into the Great Southern Forest. Is there any chance that they could be moved further up the list for regeneration?”
Vita smiled kindly but shook her head slowly.
“I know who you speak of. Sorcha and Gunnar are both in need but are in far better shape than many others who are ahead of them on the list. Since their injuries are not life-threatening, it would be unfair to others who have waited for more than a year to regain their lost limbs to push your two friends ahead. There is also the delicate matter of Sorcha being a convicted criminal.”
As Jay opened her mouth to speak, Vita held out a paw to calm her and quickly explained.
“I well know the circumstances. Out of the many I have seen convicted of crimes both great and small over the years, I would say that Sorcha is one of the few who well and truly regrets her actions, even without punishment hanging overhead. However, Imperial law does not make such a distinction. Sorcha has been convicted and while that does not exclude her from treatment, it does mean she is not eligible for special treatment, not when there are others who are in need.”
That… was disappointing, but honestly fair. Jadis couldn’t get mad at what was overall a fairly generous system. The people getting their limbs regenerated didn’t even need to pay for it, as the service was offered freely by the temple. It was only reasonable that they would have a system in place to prioritize who got the treatment since it was a service in short supply. Still, Jadis had felt she had to try, for the sake of both her friends.
Without any other business in the temple, Jadis thanked Vita and said her goodbyes, promising to visit again sometime in the future. From there, she met back up with the rest of Fortune’s Favored at the new base to help with the setup. There was a lot to do to get the place to a livable state, even with professionals working on the more complicated aspects of the refurbishment. It was nice to keep busy, though, since it helped the time pass quicker.
Of course, there were other ways to pass time, too. Since the days were short in winter, Jadis and her lovers spent some long hours between the sheets at night, renewing bonds and just generally enjoying each other’s bodies in bouts of carnal delight. Even though Jadis had finally consummated her relationship with Alex, the Demon had yet to join in with a group activity, mostly because Jadis’ other lovers were still approaching her either singly or in pairs. Not every night was an orgy, after all. Jadis didn’t think it would be long before Alex got pulled into something with her and one of the others, though. Kerr had made no effort to hide her interest in the Demon’s tentacles, and Eir had started showing some curiosity, too, now that she and Alex could have open conversations with each other.
Thoughts of what that combination of lovers might lead to was a major distraction for Jadis, which was the excuse she gave for how Gunnar managed to sneak up on her while her three selves were helping Sabina set up her forge.
“The first of the candidates have arrived for their interview,” Gunnar spoke while standing at Dys’ elbow, making her jump. “Aila and Thea are already waiting in the office.”
“Shit, thanks Gunnar,” Dys cursed. “I lost track of time. Let me wash my hands and I’ll be right there.”
For the interviews, Jadis planned on having just one of her bodies attend along with Aila and Thea. While Aila was an obvious choice for leading the interview process, Jadis had wanted Thea to be involved since the former soldier was exceptionally observant. She didn’t say much, and Jadis didn’t think she needed to, but she was likely to spot things about the candidates that she or Aila might miss.
Washing her hands clean in a cold bucket of water, Dys left the half-finished forge and made her way into the main building to meet the potential new members of the expanding Fortune’s Favored Mercenary Company.
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