Chapter 89: Anti-Pirate Operations (1/2)

Cassandra Mercer awoke to the sound of crockery and cutlery being laid out in the next room. She swung her legs out of bed and got up, stretching. She didn’t want to put on fresh clothes before she had a shower, so she put on the only article of clothing she could see at a glance; Jason’s shirt she had tossed aside the night before.

She stepped out onto the balcony to look out on the guild district street, busy with early morning traffic. Her normal routine was to start the day with physical training, but with the sand barge expedition, she would get exercise enough.

“Morning,” Jason said, carrying a large tray onto the balcony, pausing to take in the sight of her leaning against the balcony rail in his shirt. Her delicate features were fresh-faced, despite having just woken up. Her long, dark hair was slightly mussed, which somehow was all the more appealing. A pair of toned, athletic legs emerged from the bottom of his shirt. She turned to give him an inquisitive look and he set out breakfast on the table under the shade awning.

“This is what you look like first thing in the morning?” he asked unhappily as they sat. “You realise the rest of us don’t look that good even when we try our best?”

“I didn’t hear you get up,” she said, ignoring his question. “Are you an expert at sneaking out of bed in the morning?”

“Breakfast the next morning is my signature move,” Jason said. “It’s how I convince people they haven’t made a horrible mistake.”

He started lifting the covers off the trays he had laid out on the table, introducing them one by one.

“Scrambled egg hash brown nests; stewed apple oatmeal; cream cheese pancake balls with butter and syrup.”

She picked out a pancake ball and bit into it. Her little moan of pleasure crawled into Jason’s ear and gave his hind-brain a coquettish wave.

“Just keep bringing the pleasure?” she asked.

“That’s the basic idea,” Jason said.

“And how many people have you tried this signature move on exactly?” she asked, teasingly. “Am I not the first girl to visit the Asano lodgings?”

“You’re the first woman,” he said. “Girls don’t interest me.”

She let out a low, sultry laugh.

“You really are good at people, aren’t you?”

“I have my moments,” he said.

“How about back in your world?” she asked.

“Nothing you haven’t heard before,” Jason said. “Heart-shattering first love, followed by a series of empty, self-pitying encounters. A few real relationships, here and there, but I didn’t leave anyone behind, if that’s what you’re asking.”

She smiled, finishing off the pancake ball and reaching for one of the hash brown nests. He poured two glasses of spiced milk from a pitcher. They took to the food, conversing in glances as they ate.

“You’re not going to ask after my sordid past?” she asked.

“You’re here now,” Jason said. “I don’t see how the rest matters.”

She tilted her head, considering him, curiously.

“I’m still trying to unravel you, Jason Asano.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Jason said, then glanced at the clock on the wall.

“Actually, not true,” he said. “We have to be at the marshalling yard in about an hour and a half. I should jump in the shower.”

“Oh,” she said with a smile, “I think we can figure out something much better to do in the shower than jump.”

The Adventure Society campus was only a short walk from Jason’s lodgings, so they walked in the late-morning sunshine. She had her adventuring gear in her storage space, so she didn’t need to detour home. There were around two-dozen people assembled for the expedition, and they were not the last to appear. Their arrival at the marshalling yard together did not go unnoticed. Cassandra went off to speak with friends, while Jason headed for a clump of Gellers. Cassandra’s gently brushing over his arm as they parted likewise caught the attention of prying eyes.

Jason walked across the marshalling yard under the unhappy glare of several young men. He felt several bronze-rank auras press rudely down on him, but ignored them as he greeted Humphrey, Phoebe and Gabrielle, the acolyte of knowledge. Others he recognised from his time in the mirage arena.

“I think you just made a lot of enemies,” Phoebe said. “Do you know how many of the bronze-rankers have designs on her.”

“You can’t live your life afraid of who won’t like you,” Jason said. “Speaking of which…”

Rick Geller and his team joined them. They exchanged greetings, although the healer, Claire, was giving Jason a spiteful look. Her twin, Hannah, cast a gaze in the direction of Cassandra Mercer, who was chatting with her own friends. Cassandra glanced their way, eyes twinkling, then turned back to her own group.

The big man, Jonah, had squared himself in front of Jason.

“I have to admit,” Jonah said, “you can fight. You know we would have pasted you in seconds on open ground, though, right?”

“That’s hardly an incentive to fight on open ground then, is it?” Jason asked. Jonah let out a boisterous laugh, slapping Jason on the shoulder.

”That's a pretty good point,” Jonah acknowledged. ”How do you think you'll do on open sand, though? Sand pirates sound like a lot more fun than yet another bog monster, but it doesn't seem like your kind of terrain.”

“Oh, I imagine I’ll muddle through,” Jason said.

“Jason took out two skimmers full of them,” Humphrey said.

“I took one, “ Jason said. “My familiar took the other. I was pretty pleased with myself until I saw the aftermath of what Humphrey did. He halfway buried a skimmer with the pirates still in it. One swing of his sword.”

“Everyone will get their chance today,” Ernest Geller said, approaching the group. He had been in charge of their expedition when they first encountered the sand pirates, but today he was just one of the crowd. There were a couple of other bronze-rank family members with him as they joined the assembled Gellers and exchanged greetings.

“Hey, it’s Mose,” Jason said, spotting another member of their last expedition. “He’s with his cousin; I might go say g’day.”

“You know Beth Cavendish?” Humphrey asked.

“We’ve met,” Jason said. “You know her?”

“When people talk about the potential of iron-rankers,” Phoebe said, “she’s the reason Humphrey comes in at number two. She leads her own team; all locals, unlike us.”

“Good to know,” Jason said, heading over. “I’ll say g’day for you too, Humphrey.”

The huge expedition had more than forty people. They were divided into teams of six iron-rankers, plus one bronze-ranker per team. Leading the expedition was a silver-ranker, an elf from the Cavendish family, plus Vincent as the Adventure Society representative.