Day 03: After Midnight [Plot/Closed]

Ginger blinked as Cassima defended herself. Then she pinched her nose.

"There's being a doormat and then there's being fucking stupid," she said. "I...I don't even get why you had to call her a two-year-old anyway. Like, are you that triggered for being called a kid? Because you sure aren't making a case for yourself."

It was very clear that Ginger was upset at the issue.

"Look, if you want to put yourself in jeopardy, do it in your own time, and don't take any of mine," she scowled as she tugged on her red cloak. "I can't risk being caught the way you two can! You two don't know what--"

Ginger then caught herself, realizing she was outright going to yell at two people who were here pretty much because of her. She sighed reluctantly, her tone softening. She massaged her forehead.

"Look," she said. "I hate the Expiate as much as the next person, but trust me when I say she was actually being nice if a bit bossy compared to the ones I know. Put yourself in context next time you try being angry so it's not over nothing. If you think you want to do good in the world, maybe put it towards surviving so you can actually do that instead of getting arrested."

Higini didn't help by trying to offer to share his gold to Cassima. Ginger rolled her eyes.

"Well don't expect that from me," Ginger said stiffly. "I'm taking my goods and I'm leaving. But because you two helped out...I can give you something else."

Ginger dug into her vest pocket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. It had something written on it. It seemed to have an address and a rough sketch of map.

Stonewell Inn, Berkest End, Janwynne. Grimm Guild outpost


"If you want to really not be a doormat and help, maybe consider going here," she said.

With that, Ginger raised a hand to wave and rushed off.

***

The Chief Commander practically jumped at Goibniu coughing. It was instantly followed by a wince and the pressing of the ice pack harder against his hide.

"Ah...Officer McCrae," he murmured. "Apologies. There's a lot of paperwork to fill because of the incident. That said..."

The Chief Commander straightened up in his chair and placed the ice pack on the table. He looked at Goibniu firmly.

"How are you feeling? I saw you in the fight at the square earlier."

Cassima gasped loudly for everyone to hear. "I'm not stupid. Your stupid!" Cassima pointed to Ginger, she couldn't come up with a counter word attack for what Ginger had said. She had never been called stupid before, unless she messed up on farming duties. Usually Cassima would be the one calling people stupid.

Ginger told Cassima that she can't be caught in this type of situation. "Look who's whining now." Cassima responded, but she suggested that she should put herself in the person she's talking too's context next.

"I'll try." She sort of agreed. Higini meanwhile, offered to give Cassima some of his gold.

"I'll decline, but I appreciate your kind gesture." Cassima gave a warm smile to Higini, before turning and tried to give a soul piercing glare at Ginger, but she came off looking like her eyes were about to fall off from her sockets as Cassima tried to glare at Ginger.

But then she gave up. "Unlike some people." She said shortly after and watched as Ginger left.

"Could you believe her? The nerve!" Cassima huffed to Higini.

Well, it would appeae she wouldn't take his denars, even if she still appreciated the gesture. But as for Ginger, despite the fact they got in her way of her robbery and then pushed her to get involved in the situation, she opted to give then a special card containing the location of some place known as the Grimm Guild. He has heard that they were a group of hunters meant to fight off dangerous marks, but did she really think he was hunter material?

His thoughts however, were interrupted by Cassima being rather annoyed at Ginger's behavior towards her. Could he believe it? Well, to be honest, yes. But he wasn't going to tell her that of course, instead he opted to try and distract her. "Yeah. Anyhow, was she extending some sort of invitation? I feel she is overestimating me." He said, looking rather pensive.

-----

"If I may speak freely, Commander... I am not feeling very well. We lost many good men in the blink of an eye, and all for what? Is there any information regarding these fiends?" He said, sounding rather agitated, before calming himself down. "Blazes... I apologize. I'm still trying to, process. I know we always have to deal with such risks, but I have not seen so much loss of life like we experienced today ever since I joined... How about you? Are you able to handle all that paperwork even with that wound? It looks mighty delicate." He had no idea of the battle the Commander had with the Knight, and judging by the lack of any real prisoners and the way he was hurt, Goibniu feared he might have been defeated too.

With Ginger gone, Cassima sighed and the topic of conversation had moved onto the invitation that she gave them to go to a guild somewhere in town, probably, but she was surprised that she gave one to Higini considering he was going to leave tomorrow... To Eislelyn. good luck for him getting home, let's hope the rest of his life in that region was going to treat him well then it already has probably.

The good thing is, he's still alive, and not the target of Eala's wrath, so that's one thing.

"Who knows, I might look into it sometime. If i'm not banned there for getting that girl into trouble already." Cassima put away the invite, before looking back at Higini.

"What about you, are you checking it out? Seeing as how your going back to the region with the deadly princess?" Cassima asked Higini.

"I don't think so. If she bothered to give you an invitation, then it seems like she will allow you to enter should you decided to check this guild up." He shrugged, hearing her worries regarding her seemingly already tarnished reputation. He wasn't going to say this openly, but he was wondering if the guild would even be able to handle her, considering her performance in the ball, as well as with the sexy officer. He could only hope she wasn't taken to any interrogation missions should she decide to join them.

But when she asked about what he would do, he shook his head. "Me? But I can't join. As far as I know, there are no Grimm Guild outposts in Eisleyn. And even if I wanted, I don't possess any skills to help, or even time to invest on. I got many responsibilities already." He said, showing his hands with various callous marks. "It would be nice to help, but sadly I am too restrained to do so."

"Yeah, responsibilities." Cassima rolled her eyes at Higini. She certainly believed that, however it seems as though he wasn't interested in checking out the guild because of them and due to his marks. She shrugged.

"I might as well check it out, seeing as how she likes me enough to give me this invitation." Cassima waved it high in the air before putting it into her pocket.

"They're probably was a guild outpost but the demon princess put a stop to that because it was pointless to her." Cassima felt sorry for those guild workers if it was true, but she should get going seeing as how it was getting dark soon.

"I shall leave now. I already made people quite upset with my witty banter. Let's hope we both survive long enough to meet again one day." She shook Higini's hand before Cassima turned and walked back at the Inn that she was currently staying at.

As the next few days for her will be rather difficult for her.

"Do be careful with them, I have no idea what kind of initiation they might make you undertake if they are a monster hunting guild, but I don't think it'll be pretty." After all, wouldn't they need to test the mettle of the applicants? Surely they weren't going to let your average Joe partake in a life-or-death quest. Though it did make him wonder, if this invitation wouldn't be able to help him... could it help Kassandra? It could be another association she could keep her eye on for her search.

In any case, Cassima was already aiming to make her leave, and Higini had no other reason to remain here. "Aye, until then, safe travels." He nodded, as he began walking the opposite direction, most likely due to staying in a different inn. His head was feeling rather heavy over the ordeal he had to face today, as well as feeling a bit sleepy due to how late it was. He only hoped this would be the last he would have to deal with for now.

How wrong he was.

The Chief Commander's expression turned somber as Goibniu spoke.

"Yes, we lost a few good men in that incident," he said in a low voice. His bright blue eyes stared at the surface of the desk, and he provided the two of them a small gap of silence.

It didn't matter how many years Richard had been doing this. The day he got used to losing his men was the day Richard vowed to turn in his badge.

He then looked up at the ice bag on his head, thinking about Goibniu's remark.

"Oh, this? It's minor, do not worry about it," he said. "Besides, even if it was severe, I cannot waste any time. We still don't know what happened and it's important all kingdoms and quarters get the notice as soon as possible. That said, I should move onto the business of why I asked you here..."

Richard removed the ice bag from his head and placed it in a metal basin that sat adjacent to his chair on a small trolley table. Goibniu would notice a series of medical supplies including vials with pills, bandages, and clothes. Some of the said clothes were bloodied.

Richard looked back at Goibniu, his face grim. Resting his elbows on the table, he pressed his hands against the lower part of his face. His eyes closed.

"McCrae, I am taking you off your probation," he said.

***

As both Cassima and Higini left the station, a figure watched in the distance. It was a young man with dark brown hair wearing a fur-lined coat with a broadsword attached to his back. He watched from the roof of another building with the silhouette of a hare-eared Enkidu next to them.

"So those are the people that were with Ginger, huh?" the young man said.

"Seems so! They look nice!"

"That other one's too much of a talker. I don't like her."

"I thought you wanted people who weren't afraid of speaking their mind."

"There's speaking your mind and there's stupid."

"You're too mean! I think she has spirit! The other one though...seems a little weak."

"He could use training. But he has guts."

The Enkidu stretched her arms and gave out a yawn.

"Well, whatever the case..." she said as she stood up, stretching her limbs. "I hope we see them soon. We're going to need people with all this stir. The guild's spread out too thin as is."

The young man turned away and started leaving the roof.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I sense bad things are coming our way. This wasn't the end goal. This was just the start of it."

[END]