They arrived at the palace gates, and the guards allowed them to pass with a simple nod of their heads and a complete lack of questions. When they reached the main audience chamber, Lisa saw more people than she expected. The king was leaning forward on his throne, while a group of men in military uniforms and others wearing magician's robes crouched over the corpse of the mind flayer, which lay on the floor on a coarse blanket. Still more people hovered along the walls or sat quietly in pews.
"The Peacekeepers," the guard at the doors announced as they entered.
The king's blue eyes looked up and sparkled at them through thick, white brows like ice crystals in a snowbank. It was difficult to say, but Lisa thought he looked pleased. She took this as a good sign.
"You got the thing, I see," he said, pointing to the body on the floor. General Sevritas just finished giving us his report. My mages have confirmed that it is a mind flayer. Ugly brutes, aren't they? They say they can be quite challenging."
"Yes, Your Majesty," she replied with a bow, attempting to convey the courtly manners Brax said were expected. But she also knew she had to reflect a certain sense of arrogance to maintain her image as a 'powerful sorceress'. "I certainly wouldn't recommend having a dinner date with one, but it wasn't as smart or as tough as it thought it was. As you see, we prevailed."
"Excellent. You seem to have done well."
She dipped her head as a sign of appreciation for his faint praise. "Now that we have accomplished what you asked of us, I respectfully request the boon we were promised. Then, we can be on our way. I'm sure you don't want us sticking around." The last was an effort at a bit more of the street cred thing Brax mentioned. Talk to them as if they are good friends, but imply that this could change, and that they would be wise not to let it.
The king squinted one eye as he considered what she said and, perhaps, implied. "Yes, a bit of some metal, as I recall."
"Palladium, Your Majesty."
"Yes, palladium. I can't say I'm familiar with it, but my magicians assure me we can produce some."
"If I may, Your Majesty," a voice as slick as industrial lubricant said from the magician's huddle around the deceased mind flayer. She recognized it.
Rennart, the dark haired magician who had challenged her previously, stood from his examination of the creature's corpse.
"You wish to add something?" the king said.
"With all due respect, the Peacekeepers have brought us a body, which they say was the creature commanding the orcs, and they have helped our men capture those orcs, but the orcs are still here. Based on General Sevritas's report, in fact, the Peacekeepers have instructed that these admittedly lesser monsters not be harmed."
"Your point?" the king prompted.
"We cannot be sure the threat has passed. The orcs remain, and there is no real proof that this creature was responsible for their attacks."
The king combed his fingers through his white beard and paused for a reflective scratch. "What have you to say to that, Commander Chang?"
She noticed more people slipping into the room surreptitiously. They did not look like soldiers, so she figured nothing unpleasant was likely to happen in the immediate future. They were probably more city elders. Without any means to spread news quickly, they might not have received their invitations or summonses to be here right away. She ignored them.
"I have no doubt that the mind flayer was the one directing the orc attacks and I am sure the orcs themselves will confirm this," she said. "In any event, they are now your captives, and our official liaison, the apprentice magician Milton, is well qualified to question them if you wish him to do so. Our mission was to stop them from being a threat, and this we have done."
"We may indeed wish to question them," Rennart said. "But that is not a final solution, is it? We can't just set them free. It is my humble suggestion that we intensively interrogate a few and then have all of them put to the sword."
Why was the preferred solution always to kill something around here? Were medieval societies like that or did it have more to do with those juvenile fantasy adventure stories?
"One does not kill helpless captives," she said, directing her comment to the hook-nosed magician.
"Why not? It seems the best time. Waiting until they are armed and dangerous hardly has any advantages I can see."
Unsuppressed laughter rose from some of the people in the back of the room.
She glared at him. He had manners and fine clothes, at least by the standards here, but from her perspective, he possessed about the same level of civilized behavior as an alligator. Unfortunately, it was his perspective that dominated here, and she had no way to change that. Her best option was to bluff her way through this by playing the role of the mysterious and intimidating foreign sorceress.
"Every person, every thing has value to those with understanding," she said condescendingly as if he were an ignorant and unruly child. "It is no wonder the magic users here are so ineffective and disrespected. It is a disgrace to the profession. You do not see the opportunities you have. You posture. You pretend, but you have no true knowledge. You try to pick scraps of wisdom from the writings of men long dead, never realizing that they may have been just as mistaken as you are. You need to open your eyes, look at what is around you, and think for yourselves. I will say no more about that for now, but we have given the young magic user you sent to us something that may help you overcome a bit of your shortsightedness. For now, I'll simply tell you that the magic that allowed your soldiers to capture the orcs so easily has repercussions, extremely unpleasant ones if the captives are harmed in your custody."
Rennart eyed her. She saw uncertainty on his face, and perhaps a touch of fear. She tried to return an expression conveying confidence and resolve. If she got nothing else from this experience, her acting abilities were improving.
"Rennart?" the king prompted.
"I am unfamiliar with the form of magic wielded by Commander Chang and her company, but I still believe it is too early to determine if full completion of their mission has been achieved."
"Yes, quite, and as you point out, there is still the matter of the orcs."
The king sat reflectively for a while before addressing her again. "Commander Chang, I would like to consider this some more. If there are issues resulting from, as you say, repercussions from your magic, I think it would be best if you were here to help us deal with them."
Did that mean…? She snapped her attention to the king, forgetting to disguise the anger she felt.
"No, I do not intend to order the orcs destroyed," he assured her. "For now, we will hold them as you have requested." He glanced at those in audience, pausing to catch the attention of General Sevritas, Rennart, and a few others specifically before continuing. "But the orcs remain a potential problem for which, as yet, I have not heard an adequate proposal to resolve. I trust one will be forthcoming, but until that time I must regretfully decree that this affair is not concluded to my satisfaction."
She forced herself not to say more about their plan for having the orcs build a sewer system. Doc had been quite persuasive that the proposal should come from the king's own people. She and her crew were strangers here, and, as adventurers, regarded with some suspicion.
"One way or another, I will make my final decision on the boon I promised in a day or two after I consult with my advisers. I hope you have no objection to this. If it turns out you have indeed provided a lasting solution to this threat, then the boon shall be yours. This, I promise."
She bowed her head in acknowledgement. "I quite understand, Your Majesty. It is always good for wise leaders to base their decisions on careful consideration."
He was either playing it safe or playing politics. There might be factions and interests he must consider of which she remained unaware. Perhaps he felt the need to appease Rennart and Sevritas. She couldn't know for sure, but it wasn't as if she had much choice. She might be impervious to their magic, but she was less certain about their swords. They probably
were too, and she wanted to keep it that way.
"There is one more thing," Rennart said. "Insofar as they have done all they can for now, I suggest they return the items you have so graciously loaned them."
"Hmm, well, that does seem appropriate," the king agreed. "Commander Chang?"
"I'm sure those of us here have no problems with that, Your Majesty."
She removed the ring from her finger, and turned to her two companions. Sandra was already removing her cloak, which she laid on the floor at Lisa's feet. Doc set down his staff on top of it and Lisa put the ring next to it.
"There was a fourth item, was there not?" Rennart said.
"Yes, a sword," she said, trying to make it sound inconsequential. "It is at the ship with one of our other members. I don't believe he had any cause to use it, and I'll make sure it is returned to you."