>>5349407Truth be told, you have no idea what the village you were in was called. It was an unremarkable little hamlet sitting within the midst of the unremarkable Alliance territory of Siward. No maps that you had seen made mention of the village, and you’d be surprised if the sparce population that lived here ever saw much in the way of outside visitors. The presence of your band of sellswords must have served as a great shock to locals. None of them were present, preferring to remain locked inside their homes. On the other hand, everywhere you turned you saw Blackwings present. Some were simply milling around, engaging in conversation. Others were polishing their steel and armor. Some were training, taking practice swings and sparring with each other. And a fair amount more were engaging in more “leisurely” activities. Drinking, gambling, and other crass behavior were most certainly present. You had a diverse mix of personalities within the Blackwings. Regardless of what they were doing though, each mercenary paid you their respect as you made your way to your destination. Whether it was a formal salute, a curt nod, or a quick shout, there was no question that they saw you as their leader.
The Blackwings were keeping their wyverns and pegasi just outside the village, under the watchful eye of the captains of the company’s aerial division. You find the two of them together, watching some of the troops go about their practice drills.
>“Ava. Nero. How goes it?”“Why if it isn’t our fearless leader!” Nero exclaims, taking a bow in your direction. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”
“Commander.” Ava glances at you through half-narrowed eyes.
Ava led your company’s pegasus knights into battle, while Nero held command of the wyvern riders. Both soldiers had been present in your company since your days back in Charon and were instrumental in turning the Blackwings into the aerial focused company they were today.
>“I just came to check in. We’re leaving for the mission tonight. I want the two of you with me, along with a few of your best fliers. How is everyone feeling?”Nero smirks. “Attacking a merchant caravan, was it? Sounds like an easy enough pay day. Far more preferrable to facing down an Almyran warband. Should practically be a vacation for people like us,”
Nero was the quintessential mercenary. The most important thing in the world to him was gold, and he didn’t care how he got it. Despite being of questionable moral character, he was someone you were glad to have on your side. He was a skilled combatant, never afraid to shy away from the “seedier” side of your business that you could never truly get away from. There was always the possibility he’d sell you out for a few hundred gold and a pack of vulneraries. But as long as you kept winning and bringing in the glory, Nero would follow you to the ends of Fodlan.
