Twenty minutes later, Fena was standing outside a large stone building. It had a very militaristic appearance; with a tower located on the north side it practically looked like a miniature castle keep. The guards gave her a nod as she made her way inside, recognizing her without even checking her badge. The inside was also very stark; unlike the adventurers guild which had a bar, receptionists and a quest board, this room only contained a single giant desk stretching the width of the room. Fena preferred it this way; it was practical and straightforward, and one wasn’t constantly pressured to have a drink.

And I needn’t pretend to be nice here either.

A middle aged male halfling sat at the desk, quietly working on his papers. Behind him sat a floor to ceiling rack of various scrolls and books, each one coded with a letter followed by a number. Fena coughed loudly to attract the halfling’s attention. He held up a single finger in response, gesturing for Fena to wait. After what felt like ages he finally reached the bottom of his page, dropped his quill and looked up at Fena.

“Mercenary Fena reporting contract A414 as completed,” Fena said smartly, dropping her badge onto the countertop.

“A414 you say? Very well, give me a moment.” The halfling turned around and began sorting through the rack.

“414...414… ah, here we are. Fena Blank and Sir Edward Welsy.”

“Please stop calling me Blank. It makes it sound like I have a weird last name.”

“I’ll stop when you give me a last name,” said the halfling irately as he pulled out a scroll. “Sign here please.”

“Lots of mercenaries only have a single name!”

“And they’re all called Blank too! See? You’re all one big happy family,” responded the man in a sarcastic tone. “Now sign here.”

Fena could only give a resigned glare as she signed the document. “You’re an ass, Fenwick.”

“I’ve been called worse. Oh, that reminds me; the guildmaster wants to see you.”

Fena frowned. “That cannot be good.”

“Is it ever? Just go already. I’ll give you your payment as soon as that Welsy fellow signs.”

“Alright. Oh, and I ended up having to kill an undead bear so you’ll have to add that to his bill.”

“Fun. I will verify it later, you know. Now get moving.”

Fena made her way through a door on the right and up a set of stairs that led to the third floor. Stopping in front of the Guildmaster’s office, she paused before raising her fist to knock.

“Come in, Fena.”

How does she do that? Fena thought to herself as she walked into the office.

The guildmaster sat elegantly at her desk, disguising an incredibly imposing and powerful body. Black hair flowed down her back tied in a loose ponytail, and a white porcelain mask sat covering the upper right side of her face. She looked like the main antagonist of a tropey romance novel, but everyone in the guild secretly admired her presence.

“You called for me, Lady Montegrie?”

Montegrie looked at her and smiled in a slightly predatory way.

“Yes, have a seat. How long have you been with us now, Fena?”

Fena could not help but feel nervous as she sat down. Being interrogated by one of the most powerful people in the city would do that to a person.

“Umm… about three years I believe.”

“Yes, that sounds about right. And in those three years you’ve quickly taken a top spot as one of our finest mercenaries.” She briefly checked a paper on her desk. “Apparently you have a 100% completion rate and a 78% satisfaction rate with your clients. Impressive, considering we usually get work from some rather picky nobles.”

“Thank you, sir, you flatter me.”

“And yet, in those three years you’ve never taken an escort or rescue contract.”

Fena’s throat suddenly went dry.

“You’ve turned down every wealthy merchant looking for a guard, every noble travelling across even the most peaceful of territories.” The Guildmaster’s gaze suddenly turned sharp. “Now why is that, I wonder?”

Fena swallowed. “I- You- you know about my… condition, my Lady. My fighting style is not conducive to protecting others.”

Lady Montegrie snorted. “That’s one of the lamest excuses I’ve heard in awhile.”

“It’s true though! If I lose an arm or leg it doesn’t heal back fast enough!”

“Can you kill things? Can you strike down a man swinging a sword at someone else? Then you can protect a VIP. At the very least you can support a team of bodyguards. And funnily enough, everyone I know can’t regrow an arm that fast either.”

“I can’t work with others…” grumbled Fena.

“Like I said, it’s just an excuse.”

She leaned forward in her chair, her forest green eyes staring directly into Fena’s.

“You know what I think? I think you’re just avoiding the responsibility.”

“That’s not it,” Fena muttered, but she suddenly found herself unable to meet Lady Montegrie’s eyes. She looked away, somewhat annoyed and embarrassed.

“I think you’re too afraid that you’ll fail, and that you’ll have to live with the consequences of that failure.” Lady Montegrie’s gaze hardened. “I have no use for a mercenary with a sense of responsibility that comes and goes as she pleases. So you have a choice. Learn how to handle the responsibility of other people’s lives, or hand in that badge you love to flash at everyone.”

Fena’s ears flushed with embarrassment and anger, and ducked her head in shame. It was so frustrating. Like everyone else, the Guildmaster seemed to think that her ‘blessing’ was an amazing gift that gave her infinite power. How could she ever explain the suffering that gift had brought? The pain of trying to save someone, only to lose everything.

On the other hand, the Guildmaster was also right. Any mercenary should easily be able to complete an escort or rescue mission; they were amongst the most common requests, even at the adventurers guild. But Fena knew the truth, the truth that she kept hidden from everyone else; her success did not come from any kind of personal skill, but rather from her “blessing”. The only reason she had a 100% completion rate was because of trial and failure; fighting and dying over and over again until she succeeded. You didn’t get a second chance when protecting someone’s life.

Fena burned with shame and anger; anger at herself.

Why am I even here? I can’t even win a fight without ruining my body somehow. I take twice as long as anyone else to finish a contract and even then I can’t follow it through properly. I couldn’t even look after a single girl because of my own cowardness. Why? Why can I never ever do my damned job properly?! Fena could feel her chest tighten in anxiety. I-I should stop. Quit. Run away again. Why does the Guild even want me here?! Failures like me should just-

Fena suddenly let out a yelp as the Crow bit the nape of her neck, hard.

The Guildmaster gave her a brief glance, then continued as if nothing had happened.

“Fortunately I have received some good news which should interest you greatly. The Royal Palace has contacted us and the Adventurers Guild to commission a high priority escort mission. Only the best of the best, and I want you on our team.”

She held up a hand as Fena opened her mouth.

“Now I know you don’t like working with people, and I know you refuse escort missions, but this will be best for both you and me. You’ll be part of a team, which means you won’t carry full responsibility. You won’t even have to see the VIP; I can put you in a position far away from her. The reward is pretty steep as well.”

Fena looked up and frowned, irritated and worried. “And what do you get out of this?”

The Guildmaster sighed and leaned back in her chair.

“You may not have noticed Fena, but the Guild hasn’t been doing so well lately. Enrollment rates have been dropping, and those that are joining can’t really be trusted. The recent popularity surge of the Adventurers Guild means the applicants to our guild are mainly those who couldn’t get into the other guild, either because of their attitude or criminal history. And if our reputation falls apart amongst our customers, then we fall apart.”

Lady Montegrie sighed again, an exhausted expression creeping onto her face.

“I can’t let that happen. If we can complete this very public royal contract in a good and efficient manner, it’ll reassure our current customers and draw new ones in. Also it may help with our recruitment problem.”

Fena tilted her head, somewhat surprised. Lady Montegrie’s influence in the city-state of Aquitania was enormous, so to see her concerned was problematic.

“Why did we split the contract with the adventurers then?”

Montegrie shrugged.

“Guildmaster Gendric probably pulled some strings. I tried to get it exclusive, but apparently he’s deeper in the Royal family’s pocket than I thought. This is why it’s extra important we take as much credit for the job as we can, and why I want you helping out. And if you won’t help, then I want you gone.”

It was Fena’s turn to sigh as she bowed her head.

“I’m not sure why you have so much faith in me but… if I really have no choice then I’ll try my best.”

Montegrie’s expression lit up like the sun, her tired expression gone in an instant.

“Excellent! I’m confident you’ll perform wonderfully. Here the mission: You are to escort Her Highness The Crown Princess Levitia Augusta Aquitania and her entourage to the Royal Academy in the city of Becheim in the southern reach of the Ripuarian Empire.”

Snapping her head up, Fena went as white as a sheet. Standing straight up, she abruptly made her way to the door.

“Thank you for letting me work here Lady Montegrie, it’s been a real pleasure. Best of luck with the guild and your mission.”

“Now hold up just a moment!” With a sudden burst of speed, the Guildmaster shot up from her seat and ran in front of the door, blocking it with her enormous height.

“Please let me leave.”

“You’ll have to hear me out first. You’ll regret it if you don’t!”

“I have an appointment I can’t miss. Please let me go.”

“No you don’t!”

Fena sighed. Nothing this woman could say would ever change her mind, but listening seemed to be the only way out of here. And considering what Montegrie had done for her in the past, it was the least she owed her.

“Fine. I’ll give you thirty seconds to convince me exactly why I should go back to that snake pit of an Empire.”

Montegrie grinned.

“I heard a little rumour. A bird whispered in my ear, telling me a very very secret story.”

“Get to the point.”

“You’re not the only one.”

“Huh?”

“You’re not the only blessed. Allegedly, they found a child just like you.”

Fena’s face could only be described as statuesque, but her eyes blazed with sudden pain and fury as they stared at the guildmaster.

“That’s impossible. You’re lying.”

“It’s what I heard. A little toddler, though their identity is of course being kept under wraps. However… they’re probably going to be transferred to the Royal Academy for study. Doesn’t that sound interesting to you?”

“No… no… YOU’RE LYING!” Fena’s composure suddenly exploded as she suddenly seized Lady Montegrie by her lapels and lifted her, seemingly unaware of the woman’s height and weight. Shocked, the Guildmaster did nothing as Fena shook her.

“It’s not POSSIBLE! It shouldn’t… be… possible…”

As quickly as she picked her up Fena let go, dropping Lady Montegrie to the floor. She staggered back, in shock herself over what she had just done. Then she turned and sprinted out the door.

Lady Montegrie remained sitting on the floor, still in shock. The Fena she knew was diligent, quiet and never lost her composure. But even then, the outburst she just saw wasn’t what astounded her the most.

“Holy shit… she was crying.”