金瓶梅第2部

⟬ Two weeks later. ⟭

Ptolema looked around the Brazen Guard war camp. She stood guard since Guild Snowy Village was on one of the outer perimeters. It was a little lonely, but everyone else was doing more important things... weapons' maintenance, scouting, other prep...

It seemed everyone was being extra nice to her, insisting that she take the 'easiest' jobs, as of late... It was often annoying... but also... nice at the same time.

She did like the others showing that they cared... as strict as she thought she was.

She also liked having privacy.

...And she did get sore in the most bothersome places.

She took a quick look to ensure that no one was watching... Once she was certain, she decided to massage her tender chest.

"Hey, Ptolema! How's it--"

"AIIEEEE!!" Ptolema screamed in surprise. Out of reflex, she drew her handaxe and hurriedly threw it at the ambusher... and it clanged loudly against Legionnaire Karodin's helmet. If he wasn't wearing it, it would have split the idiot's blue-haired skull.

Karodin swayed, holding his head, "By the Flame!! What's wrong? Are you okay?!"

Ptolema pointed angrily, "Don't!! DO! THAT!!!"

"Do what?"

"Sneak up on me, you dolt!"

The man pursed his lips, showing a look of concern... "Ptolema... Can you uh..."

"WHAT?!"

"Can you calm down a little bit?" Karodin showed his palms, whispering quietly. "It might not be good... concerning your.... condition?"

"I am. very. calm," Ptolema insisted. "It won't. affect. the baby."

"Our baby," The Legionnaire grinned.

"Right," Ptolema rolled her eyes. Their baby. Plural.

The ambiance of the war camp grew more animated, noisy with murmurs. A new caravan was approaching, an unfamiliar adventuring company... Looking to be a medium guild of ten or twenty, they would be a noticeable presence for the most recent Gold-Rank quest.

"Black flag, green trim... white... snake skull?" Ptolema frowned... "Are they Tyrion? You don't often see snake heraldry because... you know."

Agathe, Snowy Village's medic and a no-nonsense woman one year older than her, had emerged from her tent. Placing a flat palm over her eyes, she squinted to look at the distant guild's banners...

"I recognize it. That's the symbol of Guild Letalis. They won the tournament at Caeruleum a moon or two back."

"The martial tournament or the one with the horses?" Ptolema asked, "I see a very handsome warhorse from here. Oh, and that yellow-ish one looks strong, too."

"The martial one, Leader." Agathe chuckled. "Though I'm a little surprised you knew about the horse-breeding competition."

Ptolema rolled her eyes, "Everyone knows about the horse-breeding competition."

"I didn't know you liked horses," Karodin smirked. "How about I buy you one after this mission?"

Ptolema glared at the Legionnaire, "Let's focus on the current mission, Karodin. Then, we can think about the future."

A horse did sound nice... but if she couldn't afford a warhorse as a leader of an adventuring company, Karodin couldn't either.

"Our future," Karodin insisted.

"Right."

Ptolema sighed heavily, while Agathe stifled a laugh.

"You two are adorable," The medic teased.

Ptolema decided to ignore the woman's last statement. She didn't feel like losing her temper. She stood up, peering in the distance to observe Guild Letalis' carriage and carts fast approaching their tents.

"Agathe, I'm assuming you mean that that guild won the *regular* tournament at Caeruleum?"

"Hmm..." Karodin bit his upper lip, "That'd mean they actually won against Tancred."

Ptolema glared at the Legionnaire, "I can beat Tancred, as long as I don't let him use his stupid movement techniques. By the Flame-- even you can beat him if you applied yourself."

"Aha..." Karodin scratched his cheek, "If you say so."

Agathe nodded, "From what I've heard, the teams from Guild Letalis won both the regular tournament and the junior division."

Karodin shook his head sadly, "Oh, that's a shame. I heard Miss Athena was competing."

Ptolema shrugged off a sliver of jealousy. Athena was pretty, but she was far too young for Karodin... no, for any man's tastes.

"That's not quite accurate, Mister Karodin," Agathe smirked.

"And what are you hiding?" Ptolema snapped in annoyance.

"Guild Letalis is the adventuring company representing House Vanzano."

A gorgeous dark wooded carriage drawn by two stallions stopped near the members of Snowy Village. As the door opened, Ptolema could swear a cloud of cool, frosty air wisped out.

A beautiful young woman with short ice-blue hair stepped out-- no... she seemed to glide out like a slow-falling leaf. She was wearing an elegant white toga and laurel leaves upon her head made from gold. Curiously levitating behind her were four hiltless Tyrion steel blades, razor-sharp and gleaming in the sun.

She looked less like a spoiled young mistress of a noble house and more like an angel descended from the heavens. If the blades floating behind her were arranged like wings, she would have been perfect-- an image depicted by a mosaic on one of the Church's temple walls.

"Wait, hold on--" Karodin waved his arms in a childish panic, "You mean to say this is Miss ATHENA'S guild?!"

Athena had a really good reputation in the Brazen Guard... but Ptolema was a little annoyed by Karodin's overreaction. She had mistakenly thought she was the only woman that could put him in such a state.

"Ahem...." Agathe coughed, "Mister Karodin, she's literally standing in front of you."

"Hi, Mister Karodin!!" Little Athena smiled, "Oh, and Miss Ptolema! Long time no see!"

It was gorgeous. If Ptolema had a daughter, she wanted her to look just as angelic... But that same smile was more than capable of making the blood of foolish men run hot.

...Ptolema decided that she needed to keep an eye on her husband. She trusted him, but there was no harm in keeping him out of trouble.

It was the same concept with children, keeping the cookie jar away from their grubby little hands so they couldn't ruin their supper. And Karodin was... in many cases, more like an unreasonably large child than a rational adult.

She forced a smile, "Well met, Miss Athena. This is... certainly a surprise."