An Owl's Rise

"I'm inclined to accept. Even if we don't end up going to the Jaigi Sect as planned, this is the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the Tyrannis Union." Lucia said upon hearing Evelyn explain the job Callen had offered to her.

"Doesn't this run counter to our plan, though. We could easily turn this down and find a request that will certainly bring us to our target. There is no need to take this risk. A one in four chance is hardly good odds." Rehni said. She could not see the merit in taking this uncertain job.

Several minutes went by as Lucia and Rehni argued their own points with Aralee and Bylur occasionally chiming in with their own opinions.

During this time Evelyn did not say anything and instead thought about what it was they were really trying to accomplish.

"Let's take the request. I'm tired of sitting around and doing nothing." Evelyn eventually said once she had come to her decision.

Everyone turned towards her at this sudden declaration and looked surprised. All of them figured that Evelyn would ultimately be against it.

"But Evelyn, this could put back our plans by months. We've already done so much preparation." Rehni said, still adamant about avoiding this mission.

"You're right, this could take us away from our intended target, but what does it matter. Lucia may mainly want revenge against the Apostata Sect, and we want the Deamhain Sect, but ultimately the entire Tyrannis Union is our enemy. I plan on tearing them all down, so I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter where we start."

Hearing this Evelyn's companions wore contemplative expressions, and even Lucia looked deep in thought.

"I think Evelyn is right. They all attack us, so we've got to strike back." Bylur said, throwing his support towards Evelyn first.

Aralee was quick to follow behind him, and Rehni eventually shrugged her shoulders and stopped carefully thinking about what the optimal path was. She had already chosen to follow Evelyn and could tell she was serious about her assertion.

Lucia on the other hand had been the one carefully crafting their plan and using her century of preparations to fine the best way to get back at the enemies that had destroyed her home and killed her friends.

"You do realize that this could pull us into unexpected danger. I only wanted to accept this job to establish a reputable work history for us as mercenaries. But if we end up anywhere other than the Jaigi Sect, the information I have will be more limited. It will be risky for us to make any moves." Lucia warned.

Still, Evelyn was unwavering in her resolve. If they needed more intel, they could gather it on sight and make plans based on the situation. Being careful was important but not to the point of timidity. If they waited for the perfect opportunity, it might never come, and they would accomplish nothing.

Having come to a final consensus, Lucia told them not to head out right away. They did not want to seem too interested and she suggested that they wait five days before accepting.

…

When the day came for them to head over to the Mercenary Association, even before they arrived, Callen was waiting in the reception area for them. It would seem that he had people out watching for them.

'Wow, he really looks desperate. Whoever this family is, they must have a lot of sway.' Evelyn thought, seeing the nervousness on Callen's face and the sweat trickling down his neck.

The moment he saw Evelyn, Lucia, Bylur, Rehni, and Aralee, he looked ready to jump up and run over to them in order to beg, but he kept seated and held onto a modicum of his dignity.

"I heard that you talked to Evelyn about a special request the association received recently. Would you mind telling the rest of us the details." Lucia said, sitting down across from Callen and taking the lead in the conversation.

With a look like he was saved on his face, Callen swiftly gave Lucia the rundown of the request.

She then pretended to mull over the decision for a few minutes and asked Callen a few questions before ultimately agreeing.

"Thank you for taking this request. Anyone else that frequents this branch of the association that met the qualifications is either out of the city or tied up with other jobs. You all arriving a few weeks ago was a true boon." Callen said, extreme relief on his face.

Without further delay he brought out the contract and had each of them sign it. With this the job was accepted and they would be in the service of the family that had hired them for at least ten days.

"Now, we are officially hired as mercenaries for this job. Who is it exactly are we working for?" Lucia asked.

"I suppose now that you have signed the contract I can tell you. It is for the Taidale Family, the ones that founded this city and the oldest and most powerful that live here."

Callen looked at each of them, expecting to see a shocked reaction, but not a single one of them looked surprised.

Naturally over the last five days they had done a bit of investigating to figure out likely candidates for who posted this request, and the Taidale family was the one they concluded to be the most likely. The great granddaughter of the family's head was known around the city as some sort of prodigy, and there was talk around town of them gathering personnel for something big.

"Understood. Will we need to go to the Taidale's residence, or will we be picked up here at the association before the job begins?" Rehni asked, wanting to know the exact details of the request.

"From what I was told, a representative of the family will come to pick you up from the association on the day the job begins. Your role is simply to serve as extra security during the journey to the Tyrannis Union. It is very likely you will not have much contact with the young mistress of the Taidale Family."

After a few more questions and then some polite words of parting, Evelyn, Lucia, Bylur, Rehni, and Aralee took their leave. The request would be in effect in two days, and they would use that time for further preparation.