As they stepped out of the improvised prison cell, Dalgaard immediately went to work. With just a few barked commands, the gathered adventurers jumped to attention and scrambled to prepare.

It showed Kaldalis just how much authority they had over these people.

This was a gathering of hardass overconfident individualists. But at their word, they all leaped to attention and readied themselves for battle.

“How large a group?” someone asked. “And who’s on point for the raid?”

“Ready everyone,” Dalgaard said. “And I will be taking the field myself. This is no raid. This is the killing blow!”

The adventurers redoubled their efforts at that, everyone gathering weapons, quickly cooking and consuming food for buffs, and trading potions around to make sure everyone had some. Those who were less concerned with such matters started to form a much neater, tighter column than the raiders had formed on their return trip from the attack.

“Don’t forget our deal,” Kaldalis said, sidling up beside Dalgaard as they moved to the head of the forming column. “This attack is only for Ara. No unnecessary killing.”

“We’ll see what we’re forced to do,” Dalgaard snapped back. “But I won’t forget your price. Prices, in fact. One moment.” They looked around sharply, pointing into the scrambling crowd. “Janeyin! On me!”

Seemingly on instinct instead of conscious response, a Bhogad woman stopped what she was doing and leaped to attention. It was the same one Kaldalis had seen at the raid, as well as in the treehouse in the final physical confrontation with Onirioago. She blinked for a moment at attention where she had been standing before quickly - if sheepishly - moving through the crowd to Dalgaard’s side.

“Party up with me,” Dalgaard ordered. There was only a brief pause that Kaldalis recognized as quick navigation of the party menu. “My frenemy here needs a couple of friendly hands. Go into Cotanaku and fetch Balrim and Myrin - you remember them, right?”

“Sir,” Janeyin said with a nod. “Anything else, sir?”

“Meet us at the staging area,” Dalgaard said, returning the nod. “No dawdling. We’re ending this, and I want you to be there as badly as you want to be there.”

“Like the wind, sir,” she said.

Janeyin turned and drew a spear from her inventory before launching herself into the air, leaping over the barricade and into the jungle. Kaldalis made particular note of which direction she headed. If everything went wrong, he could safely assume that going that way would get him back to town eventually.

“Balrim and Myrin aren’t going to know where to go,” Kaldalis said. “And I won’t go into this alone.”

“Janeyin will bring them,” Dalgaard said, their tone impatient. “I keep my word. And I wouldn’t start without Janeyin. She deserves to be there more than you do.”

“Was she…” Kaldalis began to ask before he realized he didn’t want to know.

“Ara was looking for you,” Dalgaard said sharply. “She found Janeyin, tried to get information from her, and when she didn’t know anything besides your name…” They looked Kaldalis in the eye, not shying away. “Yes. She was.”

Kaldalis winced. He couldn’t help but feel responsible. Sure, he could recognize that he wasn’t at fault for what Ara had done, and he’d done his part to put an end to it as soon as he’d been made aware, but that didn’t undo what had happened. People were tortured because of him. They died in agony with his name on their killers’ lips. He couldn’t fault them for placing blame on him, even if he himself knew better.

“Garyung and his cronies took her statement as part of their investigation and then fucked off. They left her to deal with the aftermath of the trauma,” Dalgaard continued, finally breaking eye contact. “I didn’t have to work to get her on Onirioago’s- I mean. My side. I told her I understood. I listened to her story. I let her cry on my shoulder.”

“I’m glad you were there for her,” Kaldalis said. “You’re a good person.”

Dalgaard was quiet for a moment. They clearly hadn’t expected that. Either that, or they anticipated some deprecating qualifier about being misguided by Onirioago. Kaldalis didn’t deliver it, though. He couldn’t very well blame Dalgaard for Onirioago’s actions if he didn’t want to be blamed for Ara’s. And he was genuinely glad Dalgaard was able to offer comfort to those affected. He thought they were a good person for doing it. There was no reason to be a dick about it.

“Tanks to the front,” Dalgaard barked after a moment, turning to regard the column. “Archers in the back! Way back! Behind the healers. Just like I always say!”

“Uh,” a Suyon already standing near the front said, waving a hand. In his other hand was a bow.

“Yes, Terry, we all know,” Dalgaard said, pausing for a moment to let a few other nearby adventurers chuckle. “Role trumps weapon. Stay at the front. I’m going to need you close at hand. This might be a kite-heavy endeavor.”

The line started to reorganize quickly. The rest of the camp was falling in now, moving into place now that Dalgaard’s attention was on them instead of Kaldalis.

“Mercs,” Dalgaard called. “On me!”

Voker, Yosini, and a half-dozen others got out of the column and moved to the front. Three of them were the three that had started questioning Kaldalis before their argument devolved into them beating on him.

Despite that recent animosity, Kaldalis couldn’t help but glare at Voker, and Voker fixed a glare right back. He considered the possibility that he was going to throw a punch. After the thought, he could almost see the train of thought in Voker’s eyes. He wanted to do it. In Voker’s mind, the account between them wasn’t square because Kal had knocked him out twice with barely a bloodied lip in return. But he knew that as long as his Aplomb was so low, starting a fight was just going to get him laid out again.

And Kaldalis would be happy to do it. In his mind, he couldn’t knock the man out enough times to make up for Haldir’s death. Kaldalis tipped his head back slightly, pushing out his chin, daring Voker to swing at it.

“Do you two need measuring tape?” Dalgaard remarked, suddenly making Kaldalis very aware that he and Voker had been silently glaring at each other for nearly a minute. “Or are you cool to just press them against each other to compare directly and save us all some time?”

Voker seemed about ready to actually whip it out, but Kaldalis had never been the sort to engage in that kind of machismo. It made him feel like the bigger man to back down and let them focus on the business in front of them, even if he knew Voker would take it as a sign that he was the bigger man on a different scale. Kaldalis stepped back, moving behind Dalgaard to let them address the mercenaries.

“Party up with me,” Dalgaard said to the mercenary group. “If this is the end, you’re going to be earning your fee. Screen for me, thin the enemy, and when the time comes, prep the target for the killing blow.”

“I’m low on Aplomb,” Voker warned. “I was hoping for some time to recover before we get back to the front.”

“That sounds like a ‘you’ problem,” Dalgaard snapped. “I hired you for a job. If you want to get paid, you’ll do the job. Otherwise I might be low on Crescents, and hoping for some time to recover before your bill is due.” They fixed Voker with a smirk. “Just don’t die, forehead.”

Voker grumbled something inaudible.

“What was that?” Dalgaard said loudly. “I didn’t quite hear that. Care to repeat it?”

“Nothing,” Voker said. Despite his visible agitation, Dalgaard’s authority and obvious impatience cowed him into biting his tongue.

Dalgaard raised their eyebrows, clearly waiting for something else. Voker pressed his lips together in an act of petty defiance. Dalgaard seemed content to wait - and keep the whole camp waiting and watching - for Voker to eventually acquiesce. After a moment, Yosini reached up and punched Voker in the arm.

“Nothing, sir,” Voker said at last, after the physical prompt. “Sorry, sir.”

“Good,” Dalgaard said. “You’ll like this part, at least.” They hooked a thumb at Kaldalis. “This man does not get more than twenty feet from me at any time. He steps out of line, you take him down.”

Kaldalis wanted to protest, but honestly he was a little impressed. Voker’s mood immediately ticked up three steps towards gleeful, and the sudden shift cut the tension out of the group immediately. Dalgaard knew how to keep his people in line through body language and vocal tone alone, but they also were good at keeping that strict order from turning into unrest.

“What are you doing after all this?” Kaldalis ventured to ask, as the mercenaries fell into position to protect Dalgaard and keep Kaldalis in line.

“I think about what comes next,” Dalgaard said curtly, “when I’m done with this revenge business.”

“I hope, when the time comes,” Kaldalis said, “you might consider a chat with me about it. I know a certain Bhogad who could really benefit from your leadership skills.”

Dalgaard’s upper lip curled, and he knew it was unlikely that he was going to get them on board to help Garyung get his shit in order. But the fact remained that this operation was an impressive feat. They were managing the unmanageable. Maybe the catharsis of resolving the problem of Ara could change their mind. One way or the other.

If Kaldalis was going to have any further effect on the course of Dalgaard’s time in this world, he would do his damnedest to make sure it was for the better.