Grimoires and Gunsmoke

As dawn broke, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange, the special forces team, along with a few representatives from the decimated hamlet and the abducted peasant girl, cautiously approached the neighboring village. They had decided to wait until morning to approach, aiming to reduce the likelihood of causing panic among the villagers and treat the poor girl who endured a night of horror. The ruckus they had caused the previous night was bound to have put everyone on edge, and Coleman knew handling this situation with care was critical.

Their Ground Mobility Vehicles (GMVs) slowly rolled forward as the sound of the engines muffled under the barking of orders from the village gate. The peasants were alarmed and were sent into a flurry of activity as armed themselves with whatever tools they could find.

Coleman signaled for the convoy to stop a safe distance away as he looked up at Eliijah who was in the turret again. “You sure this is a good idea?” The team leader asked.

Elijah shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and replied, "I dunno, I guess we're gonna find out." He said while aiming the massive weapon toward the village walls, where a few men were positioned with what looked like crossbows.

At that moment, Azeline chimed in with her usual blunt candor. "Just waltz in, show 'em who's boss, and state you aren't here to hurt them. If any idiot tries anything, use your magic boom boom sticks to cut down a few and they'll get the idea."

Confusion and disturbance clouded Coleman's features as he turned his head and stared at the elf. "Ya, we're not gonna do that," he said firmly, dismissing her suggestion outright. The last thing they wanted to do was cut down a bunch of pitchfork-wielding peasants just to prove a point.

But as he continued to work his mind for a solution to handling this situation, Coleman's gaze floated to the peasant girl they had rescued. She was being comforted by the survivors of the previous village attack. "You think we should let them lead the way?" He asked, turning back to Elijah and wondering if a familiar face might be a little less threatening.

Scratching his head, Elijah thought about the question momentarily as his pocket squirmed restlessly. "Eehhhh... probably," he finally responded. "They'd be less likely to attack a bunch of women, especially if they recognized their own in the mix."

Coleman clamped his hands together after making up his mind. "Alright, we'll let the girls go first. You and I are gonna go with 'em," he decided, climbing out of the vehicle.

Elijah furrowed his brows in disbelief, shaking his head. "Woah, woah, woah, wait. What? You want us to go with 'em?" he exclaimed, holding up a hand and letting out a faux laugh while crouching down out of the turret. "Let's think about this for a moment," he said, his tone serious.

"We're an unknown element to these people. They've just seen one of their own dragged away by a bunch of dickheads, and suddenly a new set of dickhead show up in these strange, beastless carriages, saying ‘hey guys, let us in! We’re nice I swear!’ after smoking a Wyrven." he gestured to the empty field with a Wyrven corpse in it. "Do you know how fucking INSANE that sounds? They might just try to string us up or some shit!”

A scoff left Coleman’s mouth as he rolled his eyes and started adjusting his gear. "Quit your yappin’ and come on," he retorted sharply, motioning for Elijah to come down from the turret. "You’re being a bitch."

Visibly frustrated, Elijah brought a hand to his face and started rubbing it in disbelief and exasperation. "This is fucking insane," he muttered under his breath. Crawling out of the vehicle, he grabbed his rifle and barked at Coleman, "You're fucking insane, you know that? I knew you were gonna get me killed!"

From the driver's seat, Bennett huffed in amusement. "That's rich, coming from you," he commented while he crawled to the turret to man it.

Ignoring the protesting medic, Coleman turned to Azeline. "You good to walk? Come on," he said, gesturing for her to follow.

Elijah interjected in alarm, "What!? No, she's not good to walk! She fractured her hip less than three days ago—" but he was cut off as Azeline, hissed in pain while pulling herself out of the vehicle and started walking forward, albeit with a slight limp.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Elijah basically screamed as his arms flailed. "You can't be fucking walking yet! Do you have any idea how stupid this is? You're going to worsen your injury, you could end up with a permanent limp, or worse!"

Azeline waved her hand dismissively at Elijah's concerns. "Ya ya, whatever, I'm fine," she insisted, “It’s not like I haven’t messed my hip up before.”

In an effort to find some other voice of reason, Elijah looked to Bennett and then Coleman, but everyone just shrugged. "I saw her walking around yesterday. Didn't seem too bad," Coleman said nonchalantly.

With his frustration reaching a boiling point, Elijah brought both hands to his temples, mouthing the words "What the fuck" in utter disbelief. He then chomped towards Azeline with his dominant hand and firmly said, "NO! No, get back in the—"

But before he could finish his sentence, his pocket erupted in a burst of movement. A flash of fire and violet light bolted up to his head. A clearly agitated fairy squished his face together with her tiny hands as a snarl formed on her face.

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Yana scolded him, shaking his head around. "How can I sleep with you screaming like a damned banshee! I'll turn you into one since you like yapping so much!"

Observing the chaos unfolding around her, Azeline wore an expression of indifference and numbness. The proper reaction to such a scene might have been to recoil and run away in fear, but she had grown accustomed to the peculiar brand of insanity these humans brought with them. It seemed that every hour was filled with one absurdity after another, and the Elf had learned to just deal with it as any other event.

Meanwhile, Coleman, seemingly unfazed by the commotion, walked around the Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV) and hopped onto the back. He began rummaging through the equipment, eventually pulling out two compact ballistic shields. They weren’t perfect and were custom-made to use your rifle while providing adequate cover for your torso, so they were a little bulky, but it was better than nothing.

“Why do you even need sleep!?” Elijah barked back, glaring at the Fairy. “Aren't you some immortal shitter that is above such 'mortal pleasures'?" he asked, his voice tinged with incredulity as he swiped at the fairy in a futile attempt to regain some personal space.

Effortlessly evading his hand with her nimble flying, Yana hovered in front of Elijah's face with both hands on her hips. "Because it feels nice!" she retorted with a defiant tone. "I don't need a reason to do what I like!" Her response, brimming with the whimsical and carefree nature characteristic of fairies, left no room for argument.

As Elijah struggled and bickered with Yana, Coleman walked over to the medic. He shoved one of the ballistic shields into his hands before grabbing the strap of Elijah's plate carrier and dragging him along. "Come on, let's go round up our peasants," he said, apparently completely unperturbed by the situation unfolding around them.

Taken by surprise by Coleman's sudden action, Elijah stumbled along, trying to avoid falling over while awkwardly juggling the bulky shield. “Goddamnit!” The man yelled until he finally found his footing.

A giggle left Yana's mouth before she stuck her tongue out at Elijah. "You are the worst apostle ever!" She declared and flew off towards the vehicle, heading straight for his pack.

Several choice swears left Elijah’s mouth as he was unceremoniously dragged along by Coleman towards the group of women who had gathered a short distance away. The women were whispering amongst themselves with expressions filled with concern due to the earlier ruckus.

Noticing their apprehensive glances, Coleman jabbed Elijah in the side and nodded towards the villagers, "Tell them everything is fine, we're just… spirited and lively, or some shit." He said, wanting to ease the villagers' worries.

Elijah's eye twitched for a moment. He was not exactly thrilled with playing the role of an interpreter when Coleman could speak the language, albeit not as fluently. However, he ultimately relented and out a defeated sigh.

"Hey, everything's okay," Elijah said in a bored tone. "We're just... lively..." he explained while shooting Coleman an accusatory and salty look.

The women exchanged glances that contained equal parts skepticism and curiosity, but they seemed to relax after seeing the casual body language of the strange warriors. However, they still had reservations about these foreign men's intentions. In their experience, few ever went out of their way to help someone without expecting something in return, and often such 'help' ended with someone being sold into slavery or burdened with extraordinary debt.

Among the group, the girl who had been kidnapped by the Imperial Auxiliaries shifted nervously. Gathering her courage, she stepped forward while her eyes flitted between the ground, the two men, and the palisade in the background. "Um… H-Hello…" she began hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for saving me..." She paused, looking back at the ground, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her torn garment.

After a brief moment, she looked up again with a hint of trepidation. "I'm assuming you want compensation...?" Her voice trailed off, the question hanging in the air, reflecting her uncertainty and fear.

The soldiers exchanged a knowing look. It wasn’t often that a delicate situation provided a solution for itself. Still, they had to be delicate with this situation especially when it came to the apprehension of a girl who just went through something horrible.

"We just want you to go talk to your people, so they don't try to attack or anything." Coleman spoke carefully while scratching his head. “Uhh.. we’re from far away and we’re just looking for directions or something.”

The villager girl stared at Coleman as if he was growing an extra limb out of his head for a moment before looking back at the other women for confirmation. But she only received a mix of hesitant nods and shrugs, signaling their uncertainty and that they have been true to their word so far.

Resisting the urge to click his tongue at Coleman's less-than-stellar opening, Elijah seized the opportunity to foster a more personal connection. "By the way, I’m Eli and this is Cole,” he introduced himself while giving the girl a pleasant smile. “What's your name?” he asked, his voice carrying a genuine curiosity.

The girl hesitated for a moment before responding, "I’m… I'm Rysa."

After handing Coleman his shield, a soft clap resounded as Elijah slowly walked towards her, ensuring his hands were visible and empty to show he meant no harm. "Well, Rysa, it's really nice to meet you," he said, his tone charismatic and casual. "We could really use your help talking to your people. We don't want any misunderstandings. We're here to help, not cause more trouble.”

Rysa’s expression softened slightly at Elijah’s more approachable demeanor. She still felt on edge and was still shaken, especially after what she just endured, but Rysa didn’t feel any overt maliciousness. Trust was a luxury Rysa wasn't sure she could afford, but she also recognized the reality of their situation. After witnessing the corpse of the Wyvern in the fields, she understood that resistance against these strangers would likely be futile.

Not wanting to anger such powerful beings, Rysa bowed her head in deference and performed a crude and unsteady curtsy-like gesture. “Y-yes, my lord.” she said as a sign of respect towards those she perceived as of higher class or importance. Anyone capable of slaying an Imperial Auxiliary and a great beast like a Wyvern must hold significant power or status and in her mind, this was a problem for someone else. Right now, all she wanted to do was go home and cry herself to sleep in her mother’s arms.

“Right away, my lord.” Rysa then straightened up and lowered her head. "I’ll speak with the village head and my father," she said, adjusting her torn clothing in an attempt to keep herself as modest as possible. "I-I believe they’ll be more than willing to listen.”

Coleman's brow furrowed slightly when he heard Rysa address Elijah as ‘my lord,’ a term he somewhat frowned upon. However, it didn’t matter how he felt about aristocratic systems and their titles, because Elijah quickly adapted to the circumstance and capitalized on this newfound perception.

Lifting his head in a manner that bordered on arrogance but still maintained his friendly smile, Elijah underwent a noticeable shift in disposition. As he walked forward, he said in a light, reassuring tone, "Oh come on, there's no need for that."

As Elijah approached, he noticed a subtle but significant change in Rysa's demeanor. The closer he got, the more she seemed to shrink in on herself as a visible tension gripped her frame. It was as if she harbored a deep-seated fear, and Elijah wondered if it was directly aimed at him for his role in the violence last night.

However, Elijah quickly realized that fear seemed more omnipresent than anything else. More likely a result of what she endured at the hands of those animals. Her body language spoke volumes, her shoulders hunched, and her gaze fixed firmly on the ground, avoiding any direct eye contact.

It was as if she was bracing herself for harm.

Responding to the shift in her behavior, Elijah immediately slowed his advance and maintained a healthy distance to avoid overwhelming her. "You've been through a lot, and we’d like to get you and your people to some semblance of safety." He said gently as he looked between her and the gaggle of women behind her who seemed equally hesitant

“Well… I would be lying if I said we’re doing this out of the goodness of our hearts.” Elijah said as he watched the women both tense and relax at the same time.

He knew all too well that coming off as purely altruistic would raise more suspicion than it would alleviate. Selflessness was often viewed with skepticism in these parts, as people were more accustomed to the harsh give-and-take of survival. "To be honest, we've actually been hired to sniff out bandits or deserters and we just happened to stumble over one of those groups of bastards attacking villages." Elijah kept his words vague enough to obfuscate exactly who he worked for as he gestured toward the women behind Rysa. “These women behind you had their entire village destroyed by those scumbags.”

"But, to cut the chase…” Elijah said with a half smile that made Rysa feel as if she didn’t have any room to refuse. “We're not particularly keen on spending the night outside," he added, gesturing to the village gate. "So, some food, water, and a roof over our heads would be plenty for us in repayment. And… we’d also like a little coin or some supplies.” Elijah winked at her. “I believe that would be fair for our… valiant services."

Rysa was still somewhat guarded but she visibly softened under Elijah's request for payment. She knew there was going to be a catch, but as luck would have it, the apparent powerful freelancers or lords in front of her were more materially motivated. "I... I'll see what I can do," she replied, her voice still tinged with uncertainty. "Our village has been through a lot recently, but... but I think we can help each other."

Elijah’s smile widened slightly as a twinkle sparkled in his eye. “Wonderful! Maybe you can lead the way and talk to your people for us?” He asked pointing at his shield. "Because I don’t really think they’re gonna respond very well to us."

Nodding, Rysa shuffled forward as she lowered her head in deference towards Elijah and Coleman.

On the other hand, Elijah watched the poor peasant girl scurry away before glancing back at Coleman with a cheeky smile. The team leader stood there, unable to decide whether he should praise or reprimand this manipulative fuck

Heaving a sigh, Coleman settled on just nodding his head. They both knew the importance of this moment – not just for their immediate needs but for building a semblance of trust in a community they could potentially operate out of.

As they followed after the peasant girl, Elijah clapped Coleman on the arm with a bright, annoyingly cheerful voice, "Everything's comin' together!" His enthusiasm seemed almost infectious, if not for the context in which it was delivered. Coleman, however, found himself at a loss for words, torn between admiration for Elijah's adept handling of the situation and disgust.

“I…” Coleman started but found himself unable to complete the thought. He remained silent for a moment, rubbing the bridge of his nose while his medic snickered incessantly. "You're a... you're a real piece of work, you know that?" Coleman finally let out before he started chuckling himself.

“Hahaha, Oh my god…” He continued, unable to hold back a laugh despite his earlier frustration. As they passed the GMV, Coleman gestured towards Azeline, who was still lingering near the vehicle, "Come on, let's go get a face full of arrows and pitchforks." He half-joked as the elf woman grabbed her sword with her good arm and started limping along with the two.

Ever the instigator, Elijah decided that the best way to add more credibility to their story was to muddle the plot into something indecipherable. Throwing his arm up, Elijah snapped his fingers, "Come on, Yana, let's go!" He yelled out.

Yana, who had been enjoying her moment in the sun atop the .50 caliber machine gun, abruptly sprang up with a snarl on her face. "Huh!?" she exclaimed, clearly irritated that her sunbathing session was interrupted. Looking around, she rolled her eyes dramatically in annoyance before she let out an exasperated "Ugh!"

Then, with a flutter of her wings, she zipped off towards Elijah, though not without muttering a string of fairy curses under her breath about ‘inconsiderate humans’ and their ‘incessant need for movement.’

Landing on Elijah's head with the grace of a particularly irate hummingbird, Yana began to tug and pull at his hair, her tiny face scrunched up in frustration. "What!? What do you want!?" she demanded, her voice high-pitched and full of irritation as she grabbed onto his long, curly hair and started yanking.

Ignoring the now routine bickering, Coleman turned his attention to Rysa in the distance. She had stopped just in front of the village gate and started speaking earnestly to the armed men outside. Even from a distance, Coleman could tell she was doing her best to smooth the way for their arrival.

Turning to Azeline, who was silently observing the scene with a thoughtful expression, Coleman asked, "What should we expect if things go right?"

With her gaze never leaving the villagers and the gate, Azeline pondered on the question for a few moments. "If the girl convinces them our intentions aren’t to sack their village, they'll likely let us in without much hassle.” She said in interest as she rubbed the splint attached to her arm. “We'll be watched closely, of course. So expect a lot of suspicion and a few foolish souls trying to test us," she finished as they watched a giant of a man run out of the gate and scoop Rysa in a massive hug.

“Okay…” Coleman responded as he started to process Azeline's assessment. Nodding his head, the team leader’s mind was already racing with contingency plans. "Okay... well, what if things go wrong?" he queried, a hint of concern lacing his voice as they noticed a flood of armed villagers flood out of the gates.

Azeline shifted slightly, her eyes narrowing as she observed the sudden influx of people. "Then we either leave, kill them, or kill them and leave," she stated bluntly in a pragmatic and chilling tone.

Coleman ran a hand through his hair as he groaned in exasperation. He momentarily pushed off his headset, allowing himself a brief pause to gather his thoughts before slipping them back on and pressing down on his push to talk. "Baron Actual to all elements, maintain support by fire positions. Baron 4, you are designated QRF. Be on standby for exfil if this goes sideways. Acknowledge over."

One by one, the calls of affirmation came in followed by a litany of activity as the team coordinated their roles. And looking over at Azeline and Elijah, Coleman gave them a tired look. "Let's try to keep this peaceful, alright? I don’t want to waste a bunch of farmers with pitchforks.”

Having finally managed to disentangle Yana from his hair, Elijah gave him a nonchalant shrug as they made their way to the mass of people waiting in the distance.