The Dauntless II

Suki nods her agreement. "Definitely shouldn't leave them here unsupervised at least, a lot can happen in the weeks between now and when the Network would likely be able to get their agents here, and the enemy is obviously familiar with the area. Don't want to risk one of their agents coming in the meantime," She adds.

After arranging the former slaves return to their homes through the Bellflower Network and doing some shopping, you make the trip home. All told, it takes more than two weeks to get back to Cypress Point and Dreamgate, but you do finally make it home on the evening of 3rd Arodus. Weary from travel, you head upstairs to find your beds, but are distracted by the sound of clanging steel coming from what was, in the time of the Hellknights, the training room.

Antoinette wastes no time in getting to the training room. Though she realizes that it may just be her new recruits hard at work, she still wants to be sure nothing bad is happening.

Antoinette opens the door to find Sir Rollis engaged in a pitched duel with Yabbo, while Jaruk and Emily spar with one another and Brian unloads arrows into a training dummy.

"Find your advantage," Rollis barks, keeping Yabbo expertly at bay by parrying her wild swings. "My reach is longer, but my range of motion is more limited in closer quarters. Get inside my guard rather than attacking from outside, where you can press your small size. Jaruk, your opponent's weapon is versatile, but its strikes are light. You can take a hit and counterattack much more easily than she can. Arcreek, keep in constant motion and do not let him close enough to counter. Miffler," Rollis pauses, looking at the half-orc even as he continues to effortlessly defend against his opponent. "You're actually doing very well."

"Very well indeed," Antoinette adds. "I see you've been whipping these kids into shape, Sir Rollis."

The kids all start at the interruption, focused as they were on their fight, but Rollis merely grins, not even looking your way. "They're not completely hopeless. I reckon at least half of them will live to see their second fight."

"Only half? I'd think you'd be doing a poor job if that's true," Antoinette chides. "Though in this case I think you're merely putting some fear into them. That fear is good, by the way. Don't any of you ever get confident enough to think victory is guaranteed. An opponent you don't respect is one that can surprise you."

"We know," Emily groans. "Sir Rollis has been drilling it into our heads for weeks now. 'If you underestimate your opponent, you'll die.' 'If you forget your footwork, you'll die.' 'If you eat mushrooms you don't recognize in the woods, you'll die.' We get it, adventuring is dangerous and if you're not careful it'll end really badly."

"And yet you continue not to learn the lesson," Rollis huffs. "Well, just because your superior officer enters the room does not mean you stop what you're doing unless she calls for your attention. Welcome back, ma'am, anything you need from us this evening?"

"This evening? No. I have just returned and am much too tired," Antoinette replies. "Tomorrow though I will ask that all of you meet me in the courtyard at the crack of dawn. We have a number of things to discuss. Following that, I will be introducing you to some new drills and techniques from my own combat experience."

There's a collective groan from three fourths of the recruits while Rollis and Brian merely nod.

The next morning Antoinette goes to the courtyard just before the crack of dawn as promised. She stands there waiting for her recruits to pile in.

Rollis and the recruits march in as the sun rises, though Yabbo and Emily are both still rubbing sleep out of their eyes.

Antoinette takes up a place of elevation in the courtyard and draws eveyone's attention to herself. "Glad you could all make it this morning. I'd like to start with a very important matter. The Scarlet Triad, who Brian, Emily, and Rollis, are all too painfully familiar with, have been spying on my adventuring group. They know about Alseta's ring, the teleportation circle under this keep. They want it for their own use, potentially as a weapon. They've tried bargaining with us. We weren't interested in making deals with slavers. In absence of a deal, they have decided they must take it by force. We have a missive indicating where more of them might be. Before we follow up on that, however, we need to make sure this citadel is as defensible as possible. The people of Breachill will need to come here for the safety of our walls should the Triad attack. The Scarlet Triad is not above harming innocents. It's their whole business model, in fact."

That same morning, Dorrak takes the letter, dressed in his better clothes, and makes a trip down to the town's council to request an audience, specifying that the matter is important and pressing, but not an emergency.

Emily's face immediately contorts into a fierce scowl. "Okay. So we reinforce the Citadel, then we go after the fuckers." Rollis casts a worried glance at the girl.

The attendant who greets Dorrak at the door nods and pencils him in for a meeting later that afternoon. When he returns, the council seems prepared for him.

"Councilmembers," Dorrak addresses them respectfully with a deep nod. "I've come to warn you about a potential threat to the town, though not one that I expect immediately. It's connected to the kidnappings a month ago. They were by a semi-legal organization known as the Crimson Triad who, on our adventures, the Dauntless find ourselves routinely clashing with. They seek to activate powerful magic beneath Citadel Altaerein. On our latest outing, we found one of their chief lieutenants carrying this letter." He reads the letter they found on Laslunn aloud.

Antoinette looks at Emily with a sympathetic glance. Her voice is stern but understanding. "We will indeed be reinforcing the citadel, and the Dauntless will go after them. All of you will stay here. I appreciate your zeal, Emily, but let it not lead to recklessness. I know the fire of revenge, but fueled with reckless anger it will burn out all too quickly. Your best path for revenge is to continue training until you are strong enough to carry on the fight. Right now you would likely perish if you came with us to fight the Triad."

Most of the councilors look troubled.

"This is deeply concerning. Thank you for bringing it to our attention Mr. Hakdarson." Greta nods and looks to the others. "We'll begin taking preparations against an invasion immediately."

"Now hold on," Posandi interjects. He was the only one who took it in stride. "Why are we assuming an attack will come? It sounds to me like this 'Laslunn' character disobeyed orders with the kidnapping, and that this 'Embermead' isn't interested in making things violent. Perhaps if we reach out to them, we can come to a peaceful arrangement."

------

Emily looks put out at first, then angry. "If you don't want us helping then what's even the point of bringing it up? If we can't help on a mission then what do you expect us to do during an invasion?"

Antoinette shakes her head. "Because with proper fortifications, high ground, and anti-siege weapons you stand a chance against their most basic goons who will attack in mass. We are going after their leadership, who are far stronger than that. I warn you because I want you to be prepared. More training will allow you to defend, but it will be even longer still before you can go on the offensive against their strongest."

"Councilman Posandi, I have not explained the horrors that the Scarlet Triad has committed enough, if you believe that is an option," Dorrak replies, tone firm, gaze moving across the council bench as he speaks. "They first sponsored Voz and all the damage she committed. In Mwangi, where one of the portals of Alseta's Ring leads, the Scarlet Triad empowered a Dahak-worshiping cult to attempt to wipe out a clan of Ekujae elves known as the Leopard Clan. In Ravounel, where we spent the last month, they engaged in slave raids on a small coastal town, murdering those who they could not take, then engaged in a false-flag attack in the heart of Kintargo, including attacking a school. When we tracked Laslunn down to a slave mine, she attempted to drown every slave they had in the mine, who were badly drugged up, out of spite when we had her cornered. These are not people you want to do business with, and if they get their hands on Alseta's Ring, I shudder to imagine the horrors they may use it for, and I imagine no world in which Breachill would escape unscathed."

Emily still seems steamed, but has run out of objections. Brian is frowning, but nods, and the goblins just seem excited at the prospect of eventual open warfare. Rollis, still frowning, seems to debate internally before stepping up. "Lady Antoinette, if I may. I fully agree with you that they are not ready for such an undertaking, but they have gone from utter wastes of steel to middlingly competent." There's a mild gasp and looks of both shock and pride, indicating that this is likely the highest compliment that Rollis has given them. "Perhaps, while we're coordinating improvements to the citadel's defenses, we could set them up on a mission of their own. Something light, of course, so they don't stumble over one another's asses into enemy territory and get themselves killed."

-----

Posandi's brow furrows unpleasantly. "Be that as it may, Mr. Hakdarson, it's worth an attempt if it means preventing a preventable invasion and sparing the lives of any innocents who may be caught in the crossfire." Councilor Spizzlegig mutters something under her breath, causing President Gardania to reflexively bang her gavel.

"Councilor Spizzlegig," she sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "If you have something to say, then please, say it so the stenographer can hear you." Spizzlegig glowers at Gardania, and then at Posandi.

"I said, 'and if it gets you a lucrative trade deal then who cares about that other stuff?'"

"Do you really think so lowly of me, Spizzlegig?"

"I absolutely do."

"Alright folks, hold on there for a second." Councilor Hinterclaw raises a hand to still the bickering. "Ya know me Trini, ya know I care more about the people than about the money, and I'm inclined to agree with Quentino. No use gettin' the people riled up and risking their lives if it can be avoided, even if that means dealing with unsavory folks."

"Of course. I was getting to that. I had an order of things I wanted to get to. I want you all to participate in the next call for heroes," Antoinette replies. "I'm sure the council will have a task appropriate to your skill level."

”Dealing with them is a greater risk than refusing them,” Dorrak argues, understanding and not caring that he is not a member of the council. ”In Laslunn’s notes I discovered evidence that she believes the Triad intends to use the Ring as a weapon. In Mwangi we learned, through severe burns, that it also imprisons the essence of an aspect of Dahak, the dragon god of destruction. I’m sure you can see the connection there as easily as I. It’s far more than unsavory, it’s potentially apocalyptic.”

There's a lot of murmuring here from Sendari and Spizzlegig, but Hinterclaw and Posandi hold fast. "Yer basing that off of the 'belief' of an insubordinate underling who, what, had to guess what her bosses were after? One who from the sound of things was much more inclined to violent action in the first place."

"Indeed," Posandi says, rubbing his chin. "I've been trying to place where I've heard "Scarlet Triad" before, beyond the report you made after the Voz incident, and I believe it's come to me with your mention of slaves. They're a slave trading organization in Katapesh, yes? It seems more likely to me that they would be more interested in your portal network than in any weaponization of some mythical god essence."

"I cannot believe what I'm hearing," Sendari suddenly slams a hand on the table. "You did hear him correctly before, didn't you? Attacking a school? Drowning innocents? Unbelievable!" There's a sharp crack from the gavel once again striking the table.

"Enough!" Gardania glowers at the two sides of the table in turn before turning a softer expression to Dorrak. "Mr. Hakdarson, I thank you again for bringing this to our attention. Your added information was also very valuable. It seems we have a very long and difficult conversation ahead of us, one that is better kept behind closed doors. I shall apprise you and your cohorts of any decision that is made, and if you learn anything new please do not hesitate to bring it to our attention. In the meantime, you are dismissed."

”Thank you, Council President. I would add one thing. We are working to reinforce the citadel’s defenses now, should there be a need, the people of Breachill are welcome to shelter with us,” Dorrak says, then gives another respectful nod and leaves, doing well to hide the boiling frustration beneath his skin.