Chapter 8 #2
“I’m sure it was stupendous. Anyways, if any of you have got no stomach for this sordid alliance with the Latrocinium, it’s best for you to leave now, and there’ll be no hard feelings.
Because we’re going to have to pay a hundred Obols or do something of this dangerous nature for the Latrocinium every month from now on, or face eviction. ”
There was a whole lot of swearing at that, because apparently, Rade’s call to adventure speech left out some minor pesky details.
Like, how we were on the hook forever. It was ironic, as I was playing at being a leader like unto my dad, who’d had to handle the difficult day-to-day challenges aboard our barge, he’d had Bargemaster Gax who concerned himself more with the big picture, just how I had Rade. Such was life.
“However, I have negotiated that this first expedition erases our previous months’ back rent—trogshit that may be—and wipes our debt clean.
I’ve also negotiated that other than one specific item that Master Carcalla believes might be present which he in particular wants, any other treasure we find will be split evenly between the Latros and the Outcasts.
Our half will be split in even shares among every one of us. ”
Oh, they liked that part. Too bad I was about to ruin it for some of them.
“And by us, I mean those who go and participate in the dangerous bits. Henceforth, we’re having to change a few things around here.
We can afford to give no more free rides.
If you’re part of this academy, you’re earning your keep.
Everybody chips in somehow or you’re out.
If you’re not willing to delve beneath a haunted island, find another way to bring us a bunch of coins to make up for it.
Sharing the formula to a spell got you in here, but it won’t pay for your element, our time, resources, or especially now, your rent. Got it?”
They seemed to. We might lose those who were inclined to laziness or cowardice, which I was fine with. I’d been put to work crawling lava tubes looking for Red dust when I was a little boy. I had no patience for shirkers.
“This isn’t the Collegium, land of silk and comfort.
We took you in when no other school would, so by the sweat of your brow, you shall earn your keep.
And if your only spells aren’t that strong and you’re physically weak…
” I couldn’t help that my eyes drifted toward tiny Morton as I said that.
“Come and talk to the student council and we’ll figure out something useful for you to do. ”
Rufus the dwarf raised his hand. “When does Gaul Haddar get back?”
“Same answer as last time you asked me that. I don’t know.
If you’re tired of waiting for the mighty rank ten to come and teach you correctly, feel free to leave.
The front door is currently unblocked by the corpse of the monster you embiggened yesterday.
And this isn’t an interview. Shut your trap and listen. ”
Rufus slowly put his hand down.
“Good. We’ve got four days to clear out the dungeon beneath Korthican’s Warning and loot it of valuables.
Carcalla told me a bit about it, but being the untrusting sort, last night, I went to the bay to hear what the locals have to say about the place.
Sadly for us, their tales match. The city’s condemned that isle, same as our beloved Under Slump, so the watch leaves it be.
But while our home is infested with robbers and ratlets, that island’s got some kind of deadly carnivorous amphibious creatures living upon it. ”
“You say that like it is a bad thing,” Sifuso exclaimed, offended on behalf of his kind.
“Apologies.” I nodded toward our lacertian’s hurt feelings. “Not all carnivorous amphibians are bad, obviously. My best friend is a carnivorous amphibian.”
If Trax had been present, he wouldn’t have been offended. Whether they ate plants or meat, walked or swam, Squalo considered most other intelligent races to be food. Call a Squalo a deadly carnivore and they’d take it as a compliment.
“These monsters are unidentified. They hide in the tunnels or underwater during the day, and on rare occasion swim out to menace the locals at night. They sometimes kill livestock and have got no problem ripping up a full-grown pig or goat, but they don’t attack the people very often.
At least not enough to for the watch to care about exterminating them. ”
“That doesn’t sound too unmanageable.” Of course, Azarin had an upbeat outlook. She came from a realm where griffons constantly swooped down to pluck travelers from the mountainside to drop down steep cliffs. To her, danger was a relative thing.
“Unless people set foot on the island. Then the creatures immediately swarm and rip them apart.”
She sighed. “I should’ve known to adjust my expectations.”
“The bay folk who’ve seen them say the monsters are about four to five feet tall, but they walk hunched over and shuffling.
They’re slimy, and dark blue or green in color.
They’ve got big bulby eyes that poke out the sides of their heads, beaks like birds, and long floppy arms with claws on the end.
They make a kind of a scritch noise when they’re sneaking up on you… Anybody know what those are?”
All I got was a bunch of head shakes. Our students came from six different realms and the Core, so I’d hoped to get lucky and someone would know.
From the description, I figured the monsters had come from the Elemental Plane of Water originally, so Trax might know.
Sadly, he was off doing his own thing, most likely observing humanity from the safety of one of the city’s many canals.
“Besides the unknown creatures who’ve moved in, after that, there’s the matter of any traps or curses the ancients may have left behind. The locals couldn’t help me there. Do any of you have any experience with that sort of thing?”
They shared awkward glances—of course nobody did. That was a rather select skillset, and if they were good enough to get paid for that, they certainly wouldn’t be slumming it here.
“Then we’ll figure that out once we get down here.” I tried to sound more confident than I was. “We’ve got four days to prepare. If you’ve got any bright ideas, come and talk to me, because Waterday morning, we’re earning the rent.”