My latest weekly Patreon-exclusive Realmgard Short Scene is now available. You’ll need to subscribe to Emona Literary Services™ on Patreon (even at the free tier) for the whole thing, but here’s a preview.
For reference, we’ve met both Boss Virrad and Skadi (several times, in fact). This scene is basically the result of me going back to tie in some of my previous Short Scenes to explicitly connect them and perhaps ultimately give me the basis for a full-length story featuring these characters.
© J.B. Norman — Published by Emona Literary Services™
“Now, as my newly-hired Trouble Consultant, allow to introduce you to the other members of my company.” Boss Virrad tells Kat, the old Goblin looking at her over his shoulder as he leads her into one of the rooms off his mansion’s main hallway.
Boss Virrad points to the assembled memmbers of Boss Virrad’s mercenary company. “Here we have Johnny the Axe, Mort the Combat, Axe the Blade, Blade the Shank, Nose-Biter Pete, and, of course, Nice Guy Jeff, whose tact and approachable manner have been instrumental in smoothing over various misunderstandings caused by his associates.”
“I’m telling you, Boss,” one of the mercenaries protests. “It was self-defence. Those orphans came at me!”
“So, um,” Kat stammers. “Did I just join up with some kind of criminal thing. Are you guys a gang?”
“It was self-defence!” the mercenary reiterates — and Kat thinks he sounds an awful lot like Dunstana.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Porthaven, Dunstana suddenly sneezes.
“Oh, by no means, my young friend,” Boss Virrad assures her. “We are fully authorised and sanctioned by the government of Porthaven and prohibited by law from conducting any military maneuvers within the city limits. Hence, my need for competent Trouble Consultants to be consulted in the event of any trouble of a nature which cannot be addressed in the manner of mercenary.”
Boss Virrad continues to introduce his — actually, Kat isn’t sure what the word here is: employees? minions? goons? soldiers?
“And, of course, because I strive to be open-minded and socially conscious in all my endeavours, I am pleased to introduce you to the first female member of my company: Skadi Jormundsdottir, a recent arrival from Hrimfax,” the old Goblin is telling her.
Also, the master list of all my Short Scenes is here.
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