WW5 -Chapter 18- (Patreon)

Walking side by side with Fes, Ynes, and Elizabeth, Vince couldn’t help but feel strange. The city of Toulouse was strange to him in many ways.

Bordeaux had been more predominantly a city dominated by what he’d say were classes. Each class being restricted to their own area and each almost a city to themselves.

Toulouse was nothing like that, but not in a better way.

There was the military, and there wasn’t the military.

The former was deliberately taking liberties with the population. It may not be obvious in the street, or where someone could easily spot it on a casual walk through, but it was evident in the people themselves.

How they dressed, carried themselves, eyed any guard or soldier that came near, and looked at them warily. With absolute distrust and distaste.

On top of that, it was obvious Toulouse had been a mercantile city previously. One that’d done a lot of business and trade, likely down to Spain in fact.

Many buildings had clearly been taken over by military officers that wanted to work out of a nice location. Taking over homes that were obviously owned by people who were a bit better off than the lower class.

Now there was a military presence that was crushing the city, taking what likely wasn’t viewed as theirs, and causing a general disturbance.

“This’ll be almost too easy,” murmured Ynes in what it took Vince a moment to realize was the language of Dragons.

“It will,” Elizabeth concurred. “They’re already at the point that they’re probably willing to rise up and go against the military regardless of the government.”

“Yes,” agreed Fes. Vince wasn’t that surprised to learn she’d picked some of that language up as well. She’d managed to learn English all on her own with him as an inept teacher. He imagined with a good teacher, she’d be able to learn a great deal more. “A few sparks will set the place to light. Won’t take much at all.

“Maybe stage a few kills on soldiers, see if they take it out on the population. I’m willing to bet they might. Especially if we went after a well placed officer with some friends. Maybe one that the population would be happy to lose.”

“Ah, I could see that stirring things up,” Vince murmured, his head on a swivel as they slowly walked down the main boulevard. For a small group of mercenaries the likely destination would be an inn, supplies, or a job. That left them with few locations that they could be at for a time that wouldn’t cause suspicion.”

“Break into two?” Fes suggested and gestured at Elizabeth. “We’ll take a bar and play the pretty merc’s looking for information. She can read their thoughts as we go. They’ll be more likely to talk without you there showing off that we’re not single.

“You two go for a merchant, do the same. Armory or blacksmith or something? Maybe an antique weaponry dealer if they’ve got it? Ynes can hit’em with that smile and even if you’re standing next to her with a sign saying ‘mine’ they’d still have to chew their tongue to not answer her.”

“Aww, thanks Fes. You’re awfully pretty yourself. Especially for an Orc,” said Ynes who moved in close to Berenga for a second and patted her upper arm. “I think you’re quite lovely in fact.”

“I… thanks,” Fes said and then nodded her head to the left. Moving away with Elizabeth down a side street. “Meet back up here at sunset. So memorize it, Ynes. He’ll forget.”

“Oh, she rejected me much more gently than I expected,” Ynes remarked and then looped her arm through Vince’s. “I must’ve earned some points somewhere. I hear she’s usually quite adamant when it comes to Dryads. Now… let’s see… ah, that’ll work.”

Ynes pulled at his arm and walked with a light bounce toward a man in his middle-years. She pulled away from Vince as she closed the gap on the man.

With a speckling of gray in his hair and beard, wrinkles that looked to be earned through hard work, and a pair of tired blue eyes, the man looked to Ynes in surprise.

“Good afternoon!” she said cheerfully in French. She pushed one hip out and then waved a hand at the man with a blazing smile. “I’m looking for where I can buy some new armor, weapons, or some antique tech gear. Do you have a suggestion? I could really use your help. Please?”

Staring at Ynes for several seconds the old man only managed to nod his head. Then he blinked twice and held an arm up pointing down a road to one side.

“Ah… that way, miss. All the shops you’re asking for are in the new military district. Just… be careful. Don’t go anywhere with the soldiery for anything,” warned the man, unable to look away from Ynes. “Maybe stay out of the shops the military took over, too.”

The Dryad gave him a laugh that was had a musical quality to it, waved her hand a again, then bounced over to Vince. Sliding her arm through his she began leading him in the direction they were told.

“So, what do we think we’ll find? Anything interesting?” asked Ynes in Draconic, looking up to him with a smile. Some of her hair shifting across her brow. “I know I found something interesting. Though that was yesterday. I admit I’m eager to try some more stuff with it. Our little secret, right? Please? Hubby? Man of mine?

“I’ll do anything at all to make sure it’s a secret to all the other… everyone. A secret to everyone. A secret for you and me only. Vinny? Babe? Baby? Honey? Hubby? Sweetie? Lovey? Daddy?”

As Ynes ran through all the names he found himself chuckling. Grinning and only able to shake his head. He got the impression she was reading him at the same time to figure out which one tickled him in the right way.

“Yes, a secret. That’s fine. Just make sure you keep it a secret as well,” asked Vince. “I’m not really… into what you want, but I could tell you really needed it. I’m willing for you but… it’s not something I’d look to repeat that often.”

“You’re the best Snuggle-Bug,” Ynes said and pulled his arm up into her side. Holding onto him and acting incredibly affectionate without it being overly sexualized. “I’ll make it so worth your while to take care of my needs. I’ll figure out whatever the darkest needs you are and help you get’em out. Like no one ever could.

“Just trust in your… Flower-pot that you tend to so lovingly. Despite her being kinda Dumb.”

Snuggle-Bug… ha… cute nick-names all in all.

Marching along the street they saw there were a great many store-fronts here. Quite a few of them looked to be closed and devoid of goods. Here and there Vince also spotted a few that’d had a window broken open. Large enough for a person to get through, in fact.

“Mmm, Vinny, there really looks like there’s more violence here than we thought,” Ynes murmured as they walked by a large shattered window. There was a board behind it to protect the contents of the building, but looking in from the other window he could see nothing inside. “I can see why he said not for me to go anywhere with a soldier. I wouldn’t want to be out after dark. The soldiers over there are already watching me and I really don’t like it much.”

Turning his head, Vince saw what Ynes was talking about. An entire squad of soldiers was staring openly at Ynes. Watching her in a way that made Vince feel posessive and displeased.

Except when the men realized Vince spotted their gaze, they didn’t look away. They didn’t look ashamed, embarrassed, or even that they were doing wrong.

“They can look, since that’s all they’ll ever get,” Vince replied. “If they try anything more… well… I’ll just kill them. Simple as that. Now… I think what we’re looking for is right up ahead.”

There was a picture of what looked to be a gear and a wrench hanging over a shop. Vince had often seen similar signage back home, though thankfully this one had a single hyphenated word.

Old-Tech.

Ynes nodded her head and kept her gaze straight ahead. Not acknowledging the open stares from the men.

When they reached the shop Vince opened the door and held it open for Ynes. She entered quietly and then stepped to the side. Waiting for him just on the interior.

“Morning, what can I do for you?” asked a man behind a counter to the side. He was older with dark-black hair and tired brown-eyes.

“Looking for things that might interest us,” Ynes returned with a happy bounce and nod of her head. “We’ve got a few contracts in the area so thought we’d stop in given how much Toulouse has changed.”

“Heh, changed. Changed is a polite way to put it,” grumbled the man with a firm shake of his head. He looked like he wanted to chew up a bunch of lemons if only to improve the extreme nature of his grimace. “You’re too pretty to be in the city. You need to get out. Soon as you can. It’s all going to pot. All of it.

“The military governor is just using the city like a personal piggy bank. Taking everything he wants, doling it out to those he likes, and letting his people do as they please as well. This is definitely not a place for you. They’ll be lingering around you hoping you’ll stay the night.”

“Oh… I wouldn’t worry about itty bitty ol’me,” Ynes said with a warm and husky chuckle. “My big strong Snuggle-Bug here is very posessive of me. I’m his little Flower-pot.

“Now… anything of interest you’ve got for sale gran-dad? I’ve got the coin and I’m lookin’ to spend it. I can also trade if you’d prefer that.”

“Anything of interest,” murmured the man and then sighed with a small nod of his head. “I’ve got some things, sure. None of it that’d probably be that useful to a mercenary but… things of interest aplenty. I have a couple working victrola’s I’ve repaired as well as a few records to listen to with it.

“A working vacuum cleaner, but it’s a bit hard to get it working. It requires electricity and… that’s obviously in short supply. I did get it working by having a Nullifier assist me… but it’s interesting.”

Vince only smiled a bit while listening. This was all fluff now.

They’d gotten the most important information already.

Don’t stick around at night.

“— a couple radios, same problem as the vacuum though. Even an electric razor. It was all part of a ruin that’d been untouched, really. Found it a month or two ago completely by accident,” continued the man, leading Ynes to a small shelff off to one side. She looked rather excited when she glanced back at him and lightly clapped her hands together.

Smiling at him.

Ugh. I’m going to be stupid with my money.

Fes shouldn’t have sent her with me.

Or… did she do it on purpose?

Is she using Ynes as a therapy tool like I did Blue once upon a time?

Ynes wrinkled her nose, stuck her tongue out at him while smiling, then grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. She kissed his cheek and brought him over to stand in front of the shelf.

Bobbing up and down in place and grinding herself into his arm.

“Ooh! Look, it’s a mechanical cat thingie! Snuggle-Bug, can I have it?” asked Ynes who promptly laid her head down on his shoulder. “Its so cute! It’d look great on mantle at home. Dionara will just die of envy!”

Probably.

But it’s working.

***

Vince kept an eye on Ynes without watching her. All the while getting his boots shined. The young man was working a cloth back and forth after having already cleaned it and applied a coat of wax. Shimmying the cloth quickly over the fronts of the boots and quickly giving them a luster that hadn’t been there in months.

It was a valid place to watch over her to make sure things went smoothly as well as get something he’d wanted to do, done. They’d looked terrible and had been covered in mud, blood, guts, forest, and sand. They’d been through the ringer and then some and needed attention.

Kinda like Ynes, I guess. She’s perked up so quickly after just getting that first go round already.

Though it’s not like I was any different. After Fes and Meliae started taking care of my needs I practically became a different person. Was a night and day difference when having someone there that only wanted you to be happy.

Almost as if she were unable to help herself, Ynes lifted her eyes up and looked right at him. Only to realize she was sneaking a peek, and jerked her head away. Looking off in a different direction entirely.

Considering I’ve seen her use a rifle as well as I can, and fighting in hand-to-hand combat, with decades of policing experience, she really is awfully sweet.

Fes wandered out from the bar she’d been in. Elizabeth coming out a second afterward. The two of them looked up the street one way, then the other.

Both of them spotted him at the same time.

The grin that popped up on their faces was instant. Each of them walking over to where he was sitting. Each of them had diverted their gaze a bit to the shop next to him.

More as if they were walking to that, rather than him.

Pulling out a small circular dish the young man ran his fingers through it, then started moving them along Vince’s boots. Only to lightly brush it along most of the surface for each boot.

Pulling out the brush he ran it along each side of the boot several times then along the front of it.

Fes and Elizabeth had made it over at this point causing the young man to stop.

Then stare.

At Elizabeth to be more precise.

Right now she was in her great coat and armor, but there was no mistaking the woman as anything other than what she was.

An elegant and beautiful looking woman.

The man managed to force himself to get back to work and whipped out a cloth. Dabbing it in another circular tin and then rubbing it into the boot’s leather directly.

“Oh, I get it now,” Fes said with a chuckle. She was speaking in French and Vince had no idea if she’d learned it naturally or gotten one of hte skill books for it. She was holding up something up to Elizabeth as if it were something they needed. “I like it. Makes sense. Should do what we want. Thoughts?”

“Agree completely. I can already sense that it’s working. Seven and five, different directions, same goal for each,” Elizabeth concurred. “That might be a bit too much to make the sale quick and quiet.”

“It’ll be fine, it’ll be fine. We’ll just put this back for now,” Fes said and then sighed. “Let’s go look around the shop. They look like they have some rather neat looking knives in the back there. I’d like to look them over.

“They even look like they have some rock polishing tools. That might work for your horns, wouldn’t it?”

“Oh! Very possibly. I’d love to take a look if nothing else,” Elizabeth said, entirely engrossed in the situation now.

“Ah, all set,” said the young man at Vince’s feet, having run the polishing rag over the boots while clearly listening to Fes and Elizabeth.

Hold up, Elizabeth. Ynes is going to get moving as soon as I stand up and wander off to an inn and get a room. We’ll stay there for a bit, then she’ll leave right at nightfall.

We’re trying to bring in as many insects as we can.

“Great. Thanks,” said Vince, realizing that the young man had already relaced the boots and he was indeed ready to go.

Getting out of the chair and steppping down, Ynes noticed it instantly.

She stopped fiddling with her nails and let her hands drop to her side. For the time, she’d been trying to look the part of a bored young woman waiting for someone. She let out an exasperated noise, flicked her hand out, then marched off. Back toward the inn they’d set up as the rally point for this exact situation.

Vince started moving as well, moving away from the raised shoe-shien bench

“Tricky,” Fes said in Draconic, falling in behind Vince as he passed by them. “I do enjoy your tricky nature. At first it annoyed me, than I realized it’s no different than trapping animals. Tricky is fine when you’re dealing with things less than beasts. For your power, your continued rise, you need not bother with scum and pests.”

“You know, Fes, I honestly didn’t understand you or your position. I think I finally do,” Elizabeth murmured, moving to take the other side of Vince. “Now being around you, I get it. I can see why Taylor and the other Dragons you interacted with always had a favorable opinion of you.”

“They did? Huh. I always thought maybe they looked down on me for losing my position to Yarie,” Fes admitted.

“No! No one would ever fault you for losing to her majesty. She is her majesty,” Elizabeth stated sincerely and with what sounded like reverence. “Her majesty is a world apart from everyone and anyone. Only our Lord can stand up to her, no one else can. I shudder at the idea of challenging her as Taylor did. The beating she gave to her… it’s not something I’d like to go through.

“I hear she fractured her horn from the weight of her attacks. That her Majesty then repaired it herself after feeling pity for Taylor.”

“I… Yarie is… she’s Yarie. I don’t understand why she cares for me the way she does, but she does,” muttered Fes as they moved along the street. Moving separately but with Ynes on her route. “I’m grateful for it.”

“I feel the same way about our dear Royal Elf,” Vince added sincerely. “I’m thankful for her care, however.”

He didn’t quite understand how Yaris had come around to loving him, or Berenga, but he didn’t want it to ever stop.

“The flies are circling. Think they’ll try to make a move early? In broad daylight?” asked Fes. “I don’t want to put Ynes at risk.”

“No… they just don’t want to lose her. They’re sticking a bit closer than they probably should. I can read it from some of them. More than a few have that… odd… quality to their minds,” Elizabeth countered. “They’ll wait for nightfall. Then they’ll attack as soon as they can. We should do our best to make sure it’s in an area that can cause the most problems.

“Like a residential area. Where the soldiers would have no place in being at all.”