The Slayer

Chapter 9 - too beautiful to Cage

Chapter Nine

Too beautiful to Cage

Several months passed and the guild went about their daily lives, completing quest after quest and moving from one place to another. They were doing fairly well most of the time, the guild members were neither rich nor poor, but they made their way in the world, living as they did.

But winter was coming, and life was becoming a little harder, as it did every year when the weather began to grow cold. It was not a good time for the guild at this moment, several of the members had split off on individual quests to gather what little coin they could. Leroy was gone, along with about half of the guild. The other half stayed at camp, which had been set up as a temporary place to stay, nothing more than a few tents put up amongst a section of trees. This spot had been chosen because the forest here grew thick, and it kept the icy wind out.

Inside the forest was silent.

Waltz stood at the edge of the camp, holding a blanket tightly around him and over his head.

It was bitterly cold, and his cheeks and nose and fingers were red, his breath a fog in the air before him. He glanced back at the camp behind him, he could see through the opening in one of the tents, Kenneth sleeping, near him the boy who guided him was sitting cross-legged, silently carving a figure of a bird in a piece of wood he had found.

Waltz glanced away.

*

*

They stayed for what felt like the longest time at this camp, trying to ignore the bitter cold.

One by one the other members of the guild were returning to them, bringing with them what coin they had. And at last, Leroy arrived.

He put the bag of coin he carried on the floor beside one of the tents. Shivering, he turned to address the rest of the guild.

'I think I've found a big job for us' he began.

'What kind of job?' Kyle asked him, sitting on a folded blanket on the floor and hugging his knees.

'Do you remember several months ago we accompanied Candy Cake to retrieve that sleipnir?'

The guild listened to him, feeling suddenly a little doubtful as they remembered the particular mission where they missed out on their reward. A few of them glared at Waltz who ignored them all.

'I was recently passing through a tavern' Leroy continued, 'when I heard the most unusual rumour.'

'And what is that?' Kennedy asked.

'A creature has been sighted near here' Leroy said, 'a rare creature, one that would be worth a lot of money. A phoenix.'

'A phoenix you say' Kennedy mused, scratching his chin.

Waltz listened silently, he glanced to Leroy.

'Yes' Leroy said turning to Kennedy. 'I'm sure it would be a lot of money if we sold it to the right buyer.'

'I know just the right person' Tristan said clicking his fingers. 'There is a man I know of who lives near the capital. He collects mythical creatures as trophies. He's got loads, manticors, chimeras, hippogriffs...even a mermaid. I hear she's very beautiful.' He paused then. 'He's filthy rich, obviously, or else how would he afford such treasures? His home is like a zoo.'

'I think I know who you mean' Leroy nodded. 'He's famous for it.'

'Right' Barry said thumping his fist into his open hand. 'So we catch this phoenix and sell it to this guy for a butt-ton of money, then live in luxury for several months.' He grinned. 'It'll be like one long holiday.'