Coye 6.30 - VOLUME END (Patreon)

The deed is done and I am rightfully exhausted. As soon as my friend edits 25-30, I'll submit the completed version of 6 to Amazon. I'll share my upcoming plans soon in more detail after I've had a chance to relax.

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Chapter 30 - An Unexpected Party

The fanfare could only last so long before the novelty wore off, and things turned into a discussion of the day ahead.

Suzette had to tend the shop and pass out the clothing Shayla altered and adjusted.

Byng planned on spending the day catching up with her crafting, as she was running lower on arrows than she was comfortable with. Maybe she'd see about taking on a quest later if she still had time, maybe not.

As for Dorothy, she was still adamant about having her first day back on the job. She wasn't planning to go crazy or anything. Dorothy understood her limits much more than she did a week ago. She'd limit herself and was already getting started a lot later than her day would've typically begun, anyway. Knowing everyone had her back motivated her and made Dorothy feel she could overcome any obstacle, including her job.

Coye's plan was similar to Dorothy's; back on the grind. As if to prove he wasn't about to radically upend his life in the search for immortality, he'd stick with questing for the foreseeable future. He tried teasingly to see if Dorothy could give him something special off the record, but she turned him down and insisted on a no-nepotism policy. After Coye pleaded and asked again in a softer tone with his signature puppy dog face, the policy was loosened to one of occasional nepotism as a treat.

While agreeable terms for Coye, Byng raised a playfully sour objection over the blatant favoritism. She was soon put in her place upon being reminded that she was only at bronze-rank and couldn't even take any good jobs in the first place. Dorothy promised to file a new promotion recommendation for Byng but stressed that it wouldn't likely mean much until her completed quests count increased. Tagging along with Coye on silver-ranked quests would help more than anything, which suited Byng just fine. It also helped that Dorothy ingratiated the green gal by insisting she deserved the promotion and that it wasn't just the nepotism talking.

The day's agenda had a problem in need of solving. Coye and Dorothy both wanted to head back to the Guild. If they showed up together and were spotted entering through the Peace Gate at the same time, attention would be attracted, and conclusions would be drawn. This led to a short discussion on how they planned to handle their relationship at work. Going together was no good, and neither were any displays of affection at the Guild. All in all, the goal was to keep things on the down low aside from Tammy, who she'd already promised to tell what happened. Dorothy didn't really have an answer when asked if trusting the resident gossip queen with their secret relationship was a good idea, but she correctly assumed keeping things confidential would be more entertaining for Tammy.

With everyone agreeing on how things would be handled from then on, it was time to split up. The girls returned to town while Coye remained home, working on refining his two-handed swordsmanship outside for the next hour. He didn't push himself too hard since he still wanted to potentially take on some work, but his prowess developed gradually, and it was a fruitful training session. Once finished, Coye suited up in his gear and went to the Guild with Shayla hidden in his hat.

When he got there, Coye was greeted with the new normal. A returning party of adventurers was detailing their job's success to Wiska and Chelanne, who looked flustered as they flipped through their clipboards while jotting the relevant information down. Much to the annoyance of those heroes, they asked the same question multiple times and had trouble adjusting to the flow of information.

Not helping whatsoever was Tammy, who sat on a stool in the corner flipping through one of her puzzle books. She was searching for one that would satisfy her boredom, as whatever training she gave the two new receptionists was noticeably hands-off for the day. None of the puzzles spoke to her, but the sight of her favorite adventuring heartbreaker got her attention.

Catching eyes with her, Coye went around the desk to see Tammy directly without getting in the way of the ongoing business.

"Well, if it isn't the hero himself returning safely from his latest conquest," Tammy remarked, closing her book and depositing it in a drawer under the counter. "Something tells me you'll want me to skip the three cheers, Killer."

"I've had enough cheers lately, thanks..." Coye gave her an exasperated smile which Tammy managed to return, even if it looked odd on her otherwise blank face. "How are things going?"

"Better than usual- I just got done having an entertaining discussion with the boss. Real interesting story. You might even want to ask her about it. You came up a couple of times."

Coye nodded grimly. "No need. I think I got the gist of it. You're gonna keep this to yourself, right?"

"I'm offended you think I would divulge such saucy secrets so easily..." Tammy clicked her tongue. She then noticed that Coye seemed serious and decided to ease his fears. "Really, though. I'm not about to blab. Sure, maybe I've spread a few pieces of choice information around the rumor mill before to grease the gears of gossip, but never about the boss."

Coye regarded her for a moment, judging her intentions. It wasn't hard to determine she meant it. Not when he knew how much Tammy cared for Dorothy. Her goodwill gave him a smile, and Coye loosened up a bit.

"Thanks for that," Coye said. "We really appreciate your silence."

"Already using 'we', huh? Guess you two are more serious than I thought. I feel like I need to point out that me keeping things on the down low isn't really gonna do much when the entire Guild already thinks you're fucking, though. You do realize that, right?"

Coye paused and idly leaned against the counter without a word in defense.

'She has a point, you know...' Shayla teased.

"Still..." He mumbled. "It's what Dorothy wants, and it'll be easier on her career if we're vague about it. She doesn't want the pressure."

"I know," Tammy shrugged. "Doesn't bother me one way or another, really. Personally? I think it's way more interesting like this, and I'm hoping the two of you provide me with some quality entertainment."

"I haven't let you down yet, have I?" Coye joked.

"Not as of late, and I expect you to keep it that way."

"Right, because I exist solely to entertain you..."

"Don't sell yourself short. I'm sure plenty of people would find your misadventures as amusing as I do. Who knows? Maybe you'll make it big enough one of these days that the Association'll want to pump out one of those licensed adventurer novels based on your heroic exploits. You know, the ones that brainwash kids into thinking they'll get rich if they become adventurers?"

"Gods, don't even joke about that..." Coye shivered and slumped further against the table. "I can't even imagine what that would even be like. Just thinking about it feels... invasive."

"Not in a fun way, I take it?" Tammy managed another grin. "And here I thought you liked being watched."

'Somebody's really on your case today, baby...' And Shayla loved to see it.

"T-That's totally different!" Coye blushed upon recalling the incident to which she referred. "Just because I'm kind of into that... um... sort of thing... w-well, it doesn't mean I would want people reading some book about me! That'd just be weird."

'Weird, maybe. But is it profitable? That's the real question!'

'No, Shayla. The real question is if you're spending too much time with Suzette...' Coye mentally sighed. 'And the answer is yes.'

"An exhibitionist who values his privacy..." Tammy pondered aloud. "Now I've seen it all..."

"Very funny. Was Dorothy doing alright when you talked to her?"

"Better than I've seen her doing in ages, yeah. Nice job on that."

Coye couldn't help smiling and blushing a little. "Thanks. I'm a little proud of my work there, myself."

"Weird how a good fuck is all it takes to solve a person's problems in some cases..." Tammy looked off wistfully, but whatever she was feeling, Shayla couldn't put her finger on it. She just seemed as curious as she usually did.

"I don't think that was the only reason she's improving..." Coye tried to downplay it, even if her statement was phrased in a way that appealed to his ego. "But, um, before I forget... thanks for hooking her up with that outfit, by the way."

"Liked that one, did you?" She turned back to face him and gave Coye a somewhat playful smile. "Good to know. No worries, though. Just doing my-"

"Tammy," Wiska interrupted, drawing Coye's attention to the other receptionists. The group they were dealing with looked more annoyed than when he last paid attention to them. "Could you come over here for a minute? I think we forgot how to do a few things..."

Tammy gave Coye shrugged and shook her head in dismay. "Sorry, Killer. Looks like I've actually got a job to do."

"Think you'll survive?" Coye teased.

"Don't know. I'm a little scared, honestly. Might just wither away on the spot."

"Good luck with that," Coye laughed and stepped away from the counter. "I'm gonna go check the quest board."

"Cool. In the event of my tragic, work-related demise, take good care of Dorothy for me. I'll haunt the shit out of you if you don't."

"Yeah? I guess you could invade my privacy whenever you wanted if you were a ghost..."

"Don't tempt a girl, Coye. Don't tempt a girl." Tammy smiled at him, but it wasn't her ordinary smile. It was a full one- the rest of her face smiled with her, and it didn't look off. How rare. Cute, too.

Coye didn't think much of it as he walked away while smiling in return, but Shayla had other thoughts.

'What was that all about?' She asked on his way to the door.

'What was what about?'

'That flirty vibe you had going on with Tammy, duh?'

'I wasn't flirting.'

'You were.'

'Not intentionally?'

'You think that makes it better?'

Coye pondered momentarily before admitting, 'I don't know, I really didn't mean anything by it. She's fun to talk to, that's all.' After opening the door, he paused and looked over his shoulder at the redheaded receptionist. 'Wait, you said there was a vibe going on- as in not just from me? Was Tammy flirting?'

'Well...' Shayla rubbed her chin. 'Reading her emotions is always tricky. It usually feels like nothing is going on in there, y'know? Some people are just like that. Her whole thing is that she hides behind layers and layers of sarcasm, so it's pretty hard to say for sure what's up. She could've just been messing with you, or maybe she's hinting at something?'

'Or maybe you're providing inaccurate information because it's funny to you.'

'How dare you so blatantly call me out on my devious ministrations!' Shayla gasped.

'Whatever the case,' Coye mentally sighed and entered the lounge. 'I'm not interested right now-'

'Of course you tack on that modifier. So predictable.'

'She's cute, funny, and weird in a way that I'm starting to think I maybe sort of like-' Coye came clean, his opinion of Tammy having radically shifted the more he got to know her. 'But I'm not so pigheaded that I'd gonna chase someone the day after I just got a new girlfriend.'

'I know you aren't, baby. I know.' Shayla loosened up a little, ruffling his hair with a grin. 'Good on you for showing some maturity. Proud of you.'

Coye was satisfied with the compliment and made his way to the quest board. The temptation to check inside Dorothy's office and see how she was doing was high, but it'd only been an hour and a half since they parted. It was still surreal to him that he was now in a relationship with his beloved Dorothy, but she had to catch up on a lot, and he'd probably only distract her. Better to give her some space.

As he scanned through the wide variety of current quests, Shayla noticed he was primarily checking out gold-ranked ones. Furthermore, she could sense a familiar spark of determination inside him. Coye was itching to accomplish things and to become stronger. He paused on multiple quests calling for the death of many an overpowered monster, playing things out in his head and wondering whether or not he could face them with all his new power.

'What's going on, big guy?'

'Thinking about how I'd tackle some of these. What gear I'd need, what arts would be best, stuff like that. It's not a big deal. Can't accept any of them, anyway.'

'You sure about that? You could always ask your new friend for a play date.' Shayla pulled on Coye's hair, forcing him to look over to his left.

There was something in the room he'd missed until now. Sitting in the furthest corner of the lounge in one of the many lounge chairs was Auguris. He was dressed in one of his standard black suits and a new metallocoat, his leather shoes propped up on an ottoman. In one hand, he held a cup of lukewarm tea. In the other, an open book entitled 'Poetry: It's Not That Deep, Or Is It?'

As usual, Coye hadn't noticed him since he was still enough to be mistaken for a statue. He blended in with the scenery, not too dissimilar from the stuffed pigmen heads on the walls. Coye found it amusing how the powerful mage was either completely unnoticeable or so attention-grabbing that no one could ignore him with no in-between. His awareness somehow spread to the man, and Auguris regarded Coye from across the room.

He stood dramatically in one swift motion, fully activated. Looked like they were doing this, and there was no getting out of it. Coye held back a sigh, wondering what bullshit this man would start with this time. Sure enough, Auguris held his book aloft and began an unnecessarily dramatic speech as soon as he reached Coye.

"A curious thing, poetry," Auguris shut the book with a loud thud and sipped his tea far more piercing than was necessary. It must not have tasted very good because he stopped his speech long enough to make a sour expression before magicking away his cup into the aether. "Abstract, vague, emotional... complete and utter nonsense that serves no purpose while contributing nothing to society as a whole. I simply do not understand the appeal. What is it that makes words so much more allegedly beautiful when they are arranged in a so-called artistic fashion? Furthermore, what makes one arrangement more artistic than another? Is that not merely a subjective assessment? What is the point of it all?"

Silence lingered until Coye realized Auguris was waiting for a response. There wasn't anything he could think of to say, not when he'd barely even been following along. Coye shrugged and hoped that would've been enough.

"Right?" Auguris smiled as if Coye had expressed something more supportive than a noncommittal gesture of indifference. "I knew you would understand, Coye. Regardless, however far beyond me poetry may well be, let it not be said I am a man who is against the concept of broadening his horizons. I do not understand the art. I do not expect to understand the art, yet what would be said of me if I did not try?"

Coye shrugged again.

"Indeed! And what of you, Coye? Are you also a man seeking to broaden his horizons beyond what he is comfortable with?"

'Can he go a single encounter without saying the most unintentionally gay shit imaginable?' Shayla marveled. 'It's almost uncanny.'

'No- it's way too fucking early for this, is what it is...' Coye felt his eyelid twitch.

'It's almost two in the afternoon, baby.'

'I know what I said.'

Much as he wished to stay in his head and have a mental conversation with his pixie, Coye couldn't keep the man waiting much longer. "I might be persuaded to broaden a horizon or two, yeah."

"Excellent, because I just so happened to have been waiting for you. It seems I missed you upon your return to the Guild the other day, but I received news of your recovery. I see now that said news was not exaggerated. You not only seem to be doing much better, but you appear stronger as well."

"Oh, thanks. I reached a few new milestones in my training, and I've been trying some new things... you were waiting here, though? What were you planning on doing if I didn't show up?"

"I imagine I would've reached a further point in my book?" Auguris stated like that was obvious.

While not a joke- Auguris was, by his own admission, incapable of such- his delivery made Coye laugh a little and ease up. "Right. You made it sound like our first team-up wouldn't be for a while, though. Said you barely do any quests. Did something come up?"

"Samples."

"...Would you care to continue?" Coye asked after a short silence.

"I find myself in need of some. My stock is lower than I previously presumed- genius though I may be, I am not immune to flights of forgetfulness. I figured I would wait and see if you happened to stop by before taking care of things myself." Auguris extended a folded-up quest flyer he pulled from his suit pocket, handing it off to Coye. "See if this appeals to you. I figured we should do something that would allow you to set your own pace for our first excursion."

Upon closer look, Coye was surprised at what he saw. It was an expedition quest- a format exclusive to gold-ranked adventurers or higher. The objective of an expedition quest was to go to a specified area and simply survey the place, then report the findings back to the Association. The pay was variable depending on how long you spent there, with slaying monsters and retrieving valuable items being heavily encouraged and resulting in a higher sum of gold at the end. While sounding lax on paper, the reality was that these quests were only ever issued for hazardous regions where run-of-the-mill adventurers would die in a heartbeat.

The Gnarled Woods was already an extraordinarily dangerous region, but there were deeper, darker parts of the forest where the evil was at its thickest. Forgotten paths that lead to nowhere, groves where no man ought to tread, and places where things that shouldn't be, were. If accepted, the quest would see its takers venturing into one such domain- the Reticent Hollow.

Coye barely knew a thing about the place other than a few scraps Dorothy had mentioned over the years, most of which amounted to one word- don't. It would be nothing short of suicide, which Shayla pointed out.

'Whoa, there. Hold the fuck up. The Reticent Hollow? We can't fucking accept that! In case you forgot, I had trouble surviving on my own in the, for lack of a better word, normal parts of the damn forest! Do you think I can handle anything past that? Fat chance!'

As he listened to her complaints, Coye held his chin and receded deeper into thought. The call to adventure was strong. Coye wanted to become stronger, to test his skills and the strength of Gleamrender, and this seemed like an opportune chance to do just that. Even so, common sense reigned victorious in a stunning upset for Coye's norm.

"I don't think I'm up to this, sorry. I forgot to mention the other day, but I have a condition that makes it hard to handle long treks into the Gnarled Woods. Especially not in areas where the magic is even thicker than I'm used to."

"Aha," Auguris narrowed his eyes, studying the boy. "And if said that you would not need to worry about the corruptive influence of the woods in my presence?" He posited. "I chased that damnable aberration for nearly a week and a half, you know. Not even I could have survived so long without my ingenious methods."

That raised Coye's interest, but Shayla had a counterargument. 'Even if he can make you temporarily immune or whatever, the Gnarled Woods takes up almost half the damn province, doesn't it? You need to get drained at least once every other day before it hurts, baby. Going that far out of town, well... that's just asking for trouble.'

Coye couldn't really argue against that, as much as he might've wanted. "The condition means I can't leave town for long, either. I'd rather not get into it more than that."

"And if I promised we would be back by tonight?" Auguris asked, not missing a beat.

'How the hell is he gonna accomplish that?' Shayla didn't believe it, but Coye had to know.

"Is that possible?"

"Certainly. If you do not believe me, you need only follow along and see what it means to travel in style. Mages have our own methods of getting where we want to go."

"Oh," Coye shrugged. "You should've just said you have a broom."

"What I speak of is no broom, Coye. It is so much better that I guarantee you can scarcely fathom the difference." Auguris adjusted his glasses, the shine from them creating a magnificent glare. "Go on. I will give you a moment to think things through. I'd prefer to take samples from the Reticent Hollow, but if you would prefer otherwise, I am willing to make a compromise. Choose wisely."

Despite implying he would give Coye space, Auguris continued to stare unblinkingly as Coye deliberated with the pixie in his hat.

'So, what do you think?'

'I think you're about to drag me kicking and screaming headfirst into danger, but hey, at least it'll be with Auguris...'

'Yeah. I wouldn't even think of accepting if he wasn't coming.'

'If you want my honest opinion, you already have it. I'm against it, but... I admit I'm a little curious about how it'd go. Your call, big guy.' Shayla sighed. She wouldn't let him in on it, but Coye wasn't the only one feeling the call to adventure.

With Shayla's reluctant permission, Coye thought about his options. He had a lot going for him in life now. More love than he could ever ask for, a high-paying job, but on top of everything else, Coye's new goal still lingered in the back of his mind. Getting stronger and reaching gold-rank was a step in the right direction, one he could take slowly and not rush toward as promised.

Even if Auguris would likely busy himself with his research and leave most of the work to Coye, his presence would still mitigate most of the danger, and as he told Shayla the other day, there was always the option of running away if need be.

Coye resolved himself and faced Auguris, staring into his steely eyes. "If you can really guarantee I'll be home by tonight and that the woods won't get to me, I'm cool with it."

"Excellent. I very much do guarantee it, Coye." The aggravating mage's expression softened for just a moment showing his relief and perhaps a tinge of excitement, but it was gone as quick as it came.

"Sorry I didn't mention any of this stuff sooner," Coye scratched his neck. "I was still pretty out of sorts when you visited, and I didn't think to bring it up. I don't want you thinking I withheld information just so you'd take me along or anything, so-"

"Think nothing of it. I care not for the secrets of others, Coye. Our arrangement is flexible and can accommodate your needs in most cases. I must ask you to remember that your job is to handle the busy work while I take care of my tasks. You will dispatch any interferences, asking for aid only in the event of an emergency, and you will take notes that will serve as the basis of our survey report. You had best be ready to hold your own, for I am empirically proven to perform poorly at multitasking. I ask again to be absolutely certain- is this amenable to you?"

"More than." Coye confirmed.

"Oh, how fortuitous. We shall split the profit straight down the middle. Though I expect you to be handling the bulk of things, I will still be handling our transportation, keeping us free of the wood's influence, and-"

"It's fine. Half is already a pretty big chunk of gold, even for a day's work."

'You sure, baby? Sounds like you're undervaluing yourself a little...'

'I don't want to push it. He's giving me a big opportunity, Shayla. This isn't about the money.'

'I guess so...' she conceded.

"Are you all packed up and ready to go?" Coye asked.

"There is nothing to pack. Everything I need is stored away within my coat. I am as ready as I will ever be. And what of you? I don't see half as many of those trinkets you brought to our battle. Are you certain you do not need to return home and gather up more of them?"

"Nah, I'm good. I don't usually fight like that. Carrying so much junk gets in the way, but I figured I had to resort to it if I wanted to stand a chance against you."

"Aha," Auguris stroked his chin. "So be it. If there is indeed nothing you have forgotten, I suppose we shall be on our-"

The back of Coye's neck tingled. It would've stood on end if the boy had any body hair. Someone was coming down the second-floor stairs, his eyes instinctually drawn to her presence like a moth to a flame.

'Oh, great. Here we go...' Shayla dreaded where she assumed this was going.

Britni came around the corner clad in her full adventuring gear. Her left hand lazily juggled her hand axe one twirl at a time, and the silver bracelet she always wore over her right gauntlet had transformed into a bulky wooden round shield. Electricity permeated around her vicinity, as was often the case, but the lightning had a different flavor to it. None of these sparks were reactionary or by her temper. These were deliberate- meaningful- a show of precision and force.

"He forgot something, alright..." Britni clicked her tongue and shook her head in disappointment. "He forgot he already asked me out on a quest. Didn't you, Coye?"

"Britni?" Coye called out, confused. "Hey. Um, I didn't forget, or anything. I just didn't know you'd want to do this today."

"Is this a bad time?" Britni closed the distance and loomed over him, appearing taller than she was from sheer presence alone.

Coye was getting an odd vibe from her. She wasn't acting her usual self, but she wasn't acting like the somewhat friendlier version of Britni he'd recently seen, either. Maybe she was in a bad mood? Troubling.

"No, but-" Coye looked to Auguris, who surprisingly understood enough of what was going on to help in his own way.

"If it would mean increasing the overall pay, you can certainly embark alongside us if you so choose. Having two of you would only be a benefit, as the greater the survey details and the more monsters slain, the better. Note that I myself will be busy with other-"

"Holy shit, do you, like, ever stop talking, or what?"

"Of course I do. I did not utter so much as a word during your previous sentence, for instance, and might I add the time it takes to account for my brothering, as well as-"

Britni grunted in exasperation, holstered her axe, then ran her hand through her bangs. "So not the fucking point, nerd. You don't gotta go on and on about stupid bullshit. I get the drift. You wanna get paid while doing as little as you can, yeah?"

"I would charge you with finding someone who would not," Auguris adjusted his glasses, his demeanor and answer further irritating Britni. As tense as her presence usually made things, Shayla and Coye found precarious enjoyment in watching someone completely unfazed by Britni and her power. "Before this agreement is finalized, I must emphasize that the decision must be unanimous. If my friend here wishes you not to join our merry band-"

Shayla braced herself for the obvious answer.

"Sure. I don't mind..." Coye cracked a smile, trying to placate Britni and see what her angle was. There was also the fact that with Britni tagging along, there was no way things would turn out badly.

Well...

Perhaps that wasn't the best way to phrase it.

Many things could go wrong owing to her unpredictability, but her strength spoke for itself. Coye would readily admit that Britni was stronger than him several times over, and that was without having ever seen a glimpse of her at her strongest. While he suspected she was weaker than Auguris, Coye wasn't comfortable guessing by how much. He believed the positives outweighed the negatives. Maybe this would even help them get to know each other better, further clearing the air? If that didn't have the makings of a great adventure, Coye didn't know what did.

"If you think you can keep up, that is," Coye added, handing her the quest flyer so she could get up to speed.

Britni stared straight at Coye with an unreadable expression. Staring at her through the hat, Shayla thought it was over then and there. Now was not the time to act all cocky- especially not toward someone who could convert anyone around them into a lightning rod over the slightest indiscretion.

"...I'll try not to drag you down, you little shit," Britni cracked a smile. A real one. Ignoring the extended poster, she walked straight past him toward the door. "Now stop wasting my time if you're serious about this, and let's get the fuck out of here!"

"Sounds good." Coye headed after her with Auguris trailing behind him, looking pleased with his party's expansion.

As for Shayla, this situation worried her more than the whole 'going into the even eviler part of the evil forest' thing. Britni was an awfully large variable to bring along on such a dangerous quest...

'I hope you know what you're getting into, baby.'

'Do I ever?'

'No,' Shayla sighed. 'But every time I ask, I hold out hope that maybe this'll be the moment you finally smarten up.'

'That's on you. It's not my fault I'm consistently stupid.'

'A pixie can dream, can't she? No? Well, whatever... I'll spare you the obligatory 'I have a bad feeling about this' as long as you spare me the 'what's the worst that could happen' you're no doubt dying to share.'

'Sounds like a plan.' Coye smiled as the unlikely trio made their way to the front desk, intending to announce their partnership to a duo of receptionists-in-training that was about to be baffled over the party they were about to register.