MERCS:

  The Baron | Wade | Smoke | Eden Wade | The Bowman

  Character Sheets:

  “But Dad—” Eden complained.

  “Just put your dress on, son. And don’t give me that look. You decided to follow me when you were supposed to stay put at the farm. Causing Femke no amount of worry, I’m sure—for which I’ll get it in the neck when we return. Welcome to the consequences of your actions.”

  Wade studied his son with a critical eye. He was smaller than your average woman, but Kuthenian women tended to be smaller than average, so that wasn’t a great issue. He pulled at the headscarf. His boyish looks helped, too. “We might just get away with this,” he murmured.

  “Dad, I don’t think it’s me you should be worried about.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean you.”

  Wade smoothed his dress. “What’s wrong with me?”

  “You look like a man wearing a dress.”

  For some reason, he felt offended by that. “I am a man wearing a dress,” he said, feeling better for having said it out loud.

  Eden rolled his eyes.

  “Come on,” Wade said, unable to stall any longer. “Let’s go meet the others.”

  Christoph and Odafe were waiting for them in the general’s hall. Both wore the same Kuthenian women’s garb as Wade and Eden. The Alinko laughed in Wade’s face as they joined them.

  “Something funny?” Wade asked him.

  “Sorry, chommie. That’s just not doing it for me.” He laughed again.

  Wade studied the man suspiciously. “Is that makeup you’re wearing?”

  “Of course. When Smoke puts on a show, it’s the best damn show in town.”

  “You’re not putting on a show, though, are you? And dinnae talk about yourself in the third person. That’s a sign of a swollen head.”

  “Alright man, calm down. I meant no offence.”

  “Where’s that makeup then? Let me have some.”

  “I don’t have any for you.”

  “Why in Gehenna not? We’re all on the same team, aren’t we?” Wade sighed and looked at Christoph. He was a handsome lad, and he’d thought he would be the easiest to transform. But it just looked wrong. He was too tall, and simply the wrong shape. Moreover, he looked uncomfortable and embarrassed. “This ain’t working out, is it?” He looked around, and noticed The Baron talking with General Fei. “Of course the bastard Baron gets to wear a Kuthenian military uniform.”

  The Baron caught Wade’s look and wandered over, taking in the sight with a neutral expression.

  “What were you two talking about?” Wade demanded.

  “Just going over the plan. Here, this is for you,” he said, holding out a bag with a leather strap.

  “What’s it for?”

  “It’s my change of clothes. But you’ll wear it around your middle, under your dress.”

  “Oh I will, will I? Why?”

  “You’ll be with child. Let’s say, an older woman who’s had one too many pregnancies. It might explain this,” he said, waving a vague hand at Wade.

  Smoke sniggered.

  The Baron turned his attention to The Bowman. “This isn’t going to work.”

  General Fei joined them. “Agreed. This one can just be a barbarian mercenary in my employ. They are becoming the fashion in the south. The Governor General won’t harm him; he may recruit him. He has a bottomless purse.” He snapped his fingers. “Get this one back into his leather armour,” he called out to his attendants.

  Christoph looked like he had just received a pardon from a death sentence.

  “And this one,” said Fei, snapping his fingers some more and gesturing at Wade. “Needs makeup. Lots of it.”

  A day’s walk south of Jiezhou, General Fei waited outside the gates of a Kuthenian town. With him was a small military escort and his attendants.

  Arriving to meet him was Kecheng, the Governor General of Kuthenia, with a rather more sizable force. Part of this force, noted one of General Fei’s attendants, were cavalry and horse-pulled carriages. It was the first time this attendant, who was in fact Trent Wade disguised as a pregnant woman, had seen horses in Gal’azu. Just as the Kuthenians had shipped thousands of people from their homes to their new colony, they were now shipping horses.

  General Fei had his hands clasped behind his back, as he almost always did when standing. It was, of course, The Baron disguised as General Fei. But the fact that The Baron had picked up on this habit went some way towards reassuring Wade that they might get away with the deception. Of more significance, was the Amulet of Disguise he wore around his neck.

  When Kecheng informed the general that he was under arrest by order of the emperor, Fei told his escort to lay down their arms. There was no bloodshed. One member of Fei’s escort, a blond-haired barbarian, intrigued the Governor General so much that he was added to Kecheng’s personal guard.

  General Fei would travel to Fuyang for his trial. He was treated with respect, and shown to a carriage. As was Kuthenian custom, his attendants were allowed to travel with him.

  MISSION COMPLETE

  SUCCESS: General Fei was saved

  None of your mercs improved their stats

  No mercs levelled up