Published at 7th of August 2022 11:58 am

Chapter 174: 48 Gaw: Solitaire

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Trinity leans on her war bull, her elbows laying on the beast’s magnificent head. She looks at her team, women warriors, each riding a sturdy warhorse. Not a bull, those are used only by true Amazons like herself. She frowns as she looks at the sun, already well past its zenith. She would have preferred to have left some time ago.

“So Trinity, is it true that the Amazons have no [Priests]?”

Looking down, she finds the [Archpriestess] leaning on the stable wall, an eyeless mask staring forward. The sight bothers her more than it should. Normally, when a woman wears a mask, it is because they hide imperfections. Hiding one’s body would be a grave crime if she lived on Themiskyra. The elders would have ripped off her mask, stripped her naked, and whipped her publicly. A woman is beauty incarnate, and to hide it is offensive.

But, this is not Themiskyra, and the mask is clearly well-enchanted considering her detect truth skill is being blocked.

“Indeed Miss Jess, my people worship the greatest of all the gods, Ares.” She licks her lips, “Ares, in his infinite wisdom, has declared that the male form is marred by imperfections. He understands how incompetent and ugly men are, and for that, he forbids the creation of [Priests].”

Jess considers this for a long moment.

“Your god refuses to create [Priests] because he finds men ugly?”

“Of course!” She states like it is the most normal thing in the world. “Men are hairy, overly muscular, incapable of controlling their libido, and are always dirty. Ares would never gift such ugly things his power.”

Trinity sighs aloud. “But, like all the weak-willed women, they have already tainted your soul and body.”

“W-what?”

Trinity smirks. “Tell me when was your first? When did they bloody you? When did you give in to the lies they spill?”

Jess blushes under her mask.

“I-I haven’t ever laid with a man. I’ve never even kissed one,” she says quickly.

Trinity rolls her eyes. “I sincerely doubt that. Few women are strong enough to avoid men’s lies.”

“It’s true,” Jess repeats.

The Amazon snorts. “Then remove your mask and tell me.”

“W-what? Why?”

Sits up on the bull. “Because I have a skill that can tell lies.”

Jessica frowns under her mask. She’s not supposed to remove it, otherwise, someone might figure out her true class.

But, she also doesn’t like the haughty look the Amazon is giving her.

With a frown, she glances at her surroundings. None of the passersby even glance in her direction but instead ogle the mounted women, scantily clad in their armor. Really, she can’t help but find the armor rather useless. They have an armored cuirass that doesn’t protect the arms. And below, armored underwear and greaves. Weirdly enough, Trinity’s armor is different in the sense that it is much shorter. It doesn’t even cover her stomach.

“Fine,” Jessica acquiesces. She reaches up, grabs her mask, and slowly moves it from her face. She then frowns up at the Amazon.

“I am a virgin,” she states proudly.

Trinity’s eyes widen. Within less than a second, the Amazon lifts herself off her bull and practically blurs right up to Jessica. Before Jessica can even realize what is happening, Trinity grabs her face with one hand while the Amazon’s body pushes Jessica into the wall.

The Amazon’s breasts push against her own while the knee finds its way between Jessica’s legs, forcing itself aggressively close to the nether region.

“Such beauty…” Trinity whispers, her face an inch away from Jessica’s.

Jessica can feel her heartbeat quicken and her face turn red at the hungry look of the Amazon.

“Unblemished skin, sapphire eyes, and perfect lips,” she waxes lyrical. Trinity’s free hand, colder than her body, find their way through Jessica’s robes, under her shirt, before touching her stomach.

“Trinity!” Jessica squeals. She tilts her head back, to create some distance, but is stopped by the stable wall.

The Amazon’s face moves half an inch closer. She can smell the rising breath of the warrior woman. Her eyes widen as the Amazon’s hand starts to slowly descend down her stomach. She can practically hear the fast beating of her heart, which only gets faster as the hand nears a place that no others may touch.

“So, am I interrupting something?”

Both Trinity and Jessica freeze as they turn and to see Quasi standing there with his arms crossed. A carriage with horses is parked right behind him.

Trinity snorts and straightens away from Jessica, allowing her to take a much-needed breath.

“Have you finished your much-needed preparation?” the Amazon asks.

Quasi nods and points at the carriage. “Yup. My vehicle can only fit two, so I needed something a bit larger since it isn’t just the two of us.”

Jessica takes a deep breath and backs several steps away from the Amazon. “Why couldn’t we use Gun-Widow?”

Quasi sighs. He looks disappointedly at the carriage for which he had probably overpaid; the four horses as well, but he found a nice way to cut that cost.

He scratches the side of his neck. “Well, I tried, but Rex- you remember him, the guard we met at the gate- told me that the process requires a lot of paperwork. He said it usually takes a whole month, but the guy offered to rush it through for us, but it’d still take a few days. Heh, he even seemed ecstatic for some reason.”

Quasi shrugs. “Unfortunately, I want to be gone today, so I’m leaving Gun Widow with the Gentlemen’s Guild. I’ve transferred ownership to Hannibal already, so it should be fine.”

Trinity walks to her bull, and with a single leap, she mounts the animal. “Does this mean you are finally ready?”

“Yup,” he answers. “Lead the way.”

The Amazon grunts and shifts her bull. With a small tap of her heels, the bull takes off. The rest of the Bladed Thorns quickly form rank and follow their leader.

“Alright Jess, let’s get inside! There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Quasi walks to the carriage and enthusiastically yanks open the door before entering. Jessica notices nobody is in the driver’s seat and frowns. At a second glance, she realizes the reins are absent too.

Only when she closely looks at the horses does she understand. All four of them are undead, but the bodies are in perfect condition. She sighs at the recent slaughter before following Quasi inside.

When she enters, she is met with a new face sitting next to the untied Abernick, who scowls at Quasi.

The newcomer, a bear of a man, stares at her intensely. Before she even sits, tears start to fall from his eyes.

“Josephine,” he mumbles. He blinks and the tears truly pour down. “You look just like your mother.”

___________________________

“I must admit, you’ve done exceptionally well for yourself. You’re the second person in recent years to have been so readily accepted into Camelot’s Thieves’ Guild. For most it takes years,” Momochi tells the new member.

Jessa walks next to Momochi as they move through the underground network. “There was another? Did he also have a patron too?” she asks.

Momochi chuckles. “You could call it that. Voice Bone’s arrival was heralded by the great mistress.”

Jessa raises an eyebrow. “Laverna? The goddess spoke?”

“Yes. Voice Naewind was contacted by the mistress and informed of Bone’s arrival,” he recounts.

“And this Bone person showed up?”

“Yes, and not a week later, he single-handedly destroyed the [Assassins] guild.”

Jessa stops, her eyes widening. “I thought it was the [Gentlemen] that destroyed them?”

Momochi shrugs. “I don’t have all the information, but it seems that the Gentlemen’s guild is taking the blame. He appears to hold a membership there as well.”

Jessa releases a sigh, which follows with a forced chuckle. She glances at the letter in her hand, which feels a lot less impressive compared to a goddess’s divine message.

Momochi notices the shift in the girl’s mood. “What’s wrong? You seem dismayed.”

She shrugs. “Nothing. I just thought this would seem more impressive.”

Momochi snorts. “You hold an invitation from Voice Hawk, one of the oldest and most influential leaders of our guild.”

The [Ninja] takes a sharp right, his pace slow and steady as he weaves through the underground passages. “On top of that, you are his direct disciple with a bright future ahead of you. You have little to complain of.”

Jessa blushes under her mask. Hawk technically is not her master, just masterful. He has a diverse spread of knowledge of many combat forms, weapons, and magic; and, of course, thievery. It was thanks to him that she had been able to level so much over the past two years.

Shaking her head, she quickly clears her thoughts and instead focuses on the primary reason she is here. “So, I wanted to ask, do you know someone by the name of Quasi Eludo?”

Momochi frowns. “We are actually looking for more information on that person too. If you know something, I suggest informing Voice Naewind. He’s offering large rewards for any information on that person’s whereabouts.”

Jessa sags. She was hoping that the Thieves’ Guild would know where Franky’s friend is, but it looks like even they have little clue.

“What in the world…”

Momochi slows down as he nears a swarm of people around the smithy door.

“What is happening here?” he asks, getting everyone’s attention. The crowd murmurs and parts, letting the duo see the entrance.

Momochi and Jessa reach the door. A piece of paper has been nailed to it.

I have to go take care of my mentor’s daughter. I will return if and when I am able.

-Deflon

_____________________________

Gun Widow plays its searchlight over the patched wall, idly studying the interface between new and old, of grey and not quite gray.

It turns its turret and scans the rest of the armory. Cold, dumb weapons glint in the light. Useful things, Gun supposes, in their own primitive fashion, but not terribly good company.

Gun turns towards the door and listens to the muted banter of the guards beyond in their newly constructed guardhouse.

It returns its attention and illumination to the table in front of it. Gun’s barrel droops and it turns over the next card in its solitaire game.

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