Chapter 1
Spearman smiled to himself, clamping his trusty spear as he and Witch made their way back to the Guild.
"5 months, oh, it's been so long!" He exclaimed. "I am exhausted!"
Witch smiled. "Hmm...yes. Good to be back."
They walked by the blacksmith, the smell of charcoal filled Spearman's nostrils, and he inhaled the fumes willingly.
"The smell of home." He hummed. He closed his eyes and opened them, then blinked and focused on the guard towers. Mainly, the people on top.
"Did...the Frontier get new soldiers?" He asked Witch.
Witch looked up. "Hmm...No, not last I...checked."
Paranoia swept over the Frontier's Strongest. He put a hand to his chin.
"We might be in trouble then. Those are not town guards."
One of the supposed "guards" held a black metal tube that stuck out from the tower like a big cannon. The guard noticed Spearman eyeing him and squinted.
"Strange weapons." Spearman muttered within earshot of Witch, turning back to the road ahead. "Strange outfits...We couldn't...there's no way that they…"
A freaky bipedal humanoid with horns sticking out of it, holding a black tube, shorter than the guard on the towers, walked past, bumping Spearman.
"Move along." It growled.
"Let's just get to the Guild." Spearman said, quickening his pace.
"Spearman…" Witch started, but he was already at the doors. She sighed and followed.
He peeked through the crack in the double doors, and breathed a sigh of relief. Putting both hands on the door handles, he swung the two open and announced his presence.
"Fellow adventurers! I have returned again!" Spearman declared.
The Guild hall erupted in cheers, and Spearman smiled. His paranoia was washed away instantly. The petite and lovely Priestess, of which Spearman was acquainted with, walked over with a smile.
"Hello, Spearman. Welcome back." She greeted.
"Thank you my dear, thank you." Spearman answered proudly. "My my, I see you have the full party, ears, tails, and all, but where is the famed Goblin Slayer?"
High Elf Archer rolled her eyes. "For all we know, going on a goblin slaying quest without us. Again!"
Spearman chuckled. "Haha, well, that's too bad."
He now trained his eyes on his prize, the cute receptionist girl at the counter.
"Hello, my dear! Did you miss me?" He asked, trotting up to the counter.
She gave her usual warming smile. "Of course! You must feel exhausted after such a long endeavor! Did you manage to help the Hero?"
Spearman chuckled. He was trying a new tactic: Being humble, he heard, was a good way to gain favor with women. "Well, I tried my best, I will say. Witch, of course, was an excellent helper, and Hero's companions filled their respective rolls."
Guild Girl nodded. "Wonderful! If you wouldn't mind, this being such an important quest requires a lot of details."
"Not at all, my dear." Spearman said. He took the stack of papers with grace and walked over to the bar area, where Padfoot Waitress stood, looking at him with an expectant grin.
"A round of fine brandy for everyone, madam. On me, of course." He said.
The Guild hall cheered at the generous gift for his return.
Padfoot Waitress saluted Spearman and went to the back of the kitchen. Spearman sat down next to a rather bearded man, eating potatoes and some rather nice looking wine.
"Ahh, experiencing the fine quality of the Members Only menu, I see!" He said, smiling at the man.
"Indeed. I'm not a part of the Guild though." The man replied.
Spearman blinked, then let out a hearty laugh. "Good one, my friend. Surely you know I can recognise the smell of Fire Wine a mile away!"
The man spoke through mouthfuls of potato. "I'm not joking."
Spearman froze. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two figures in purple armor make their way over. Several other figures, resembling the guards, lifted their heads up, as did many adventurers.
He looked over to Goblin Slayer's party's table, and his eyes widened as he saw High Elf Archer making every motion possible to tell him what he was doing was a bad idea.
The man lifted his hand in a gesture. The two men in purple armor nodded, and sat back down, as did the guards.
High Elf Archer motioned for him to come to her. He obeyed the elf's wishes.
"Do you value your dumb ass?" She hissed. "Don't give him a hard time. On second thought, just don't talk to him!"
"Why not?" Spearman asked. "If he's not an Adventurer, he can't order that kind of liquor."
"Just leave it!" The elf snapped quietly.
All of a sudden, Spearman's brain started to turn. It made sense. The man, the guards, the two men in purple armor, the way the Adventurers seemed to disregard the fact that these men were violating Guild rules…
"Did they…him...did he..." He asked, narrowing his eyes. "Capture the town?"
High Elf Archer gave him a look that signaled the affirmative.
"And did he...threaten...my...our...sweet Guild Girl?" He seethed, face contorting in anger.
"Spearman...be realistic." His partner pleaded, accepting that this was their new way of life.
"Oh, I'm being realistic alright! I am so incredibly realistic, that I think I can decide for myself what happened!" He ranted.
"YOU!" He shouted at the man, still eating his potatoes.
"You, there, my good sir. Tell me…" He said condescendingly, marching over. "Do you find it entertaining to threaten our lady friends who work hard at the counter so that you can enjoy pleasantries you do not deserve?"
The man gave him a look. "I think you should sit down."
"Answer the question, sir!" He demanded.
A rustle of seats, and the purple-armored men stood back up.
The man made the same gesture, and they sat back down. He then gestured to the seat beside him.
"Please. Sit."
Realising he was not necessarily in control of the situation, Spearman relented.
"Now, how long have you been away?" The man asked, digging his spoon into his bowl.
"5 months. I was assisting the Hero in defeating a low-ranked Demon Lord." Spearman answered.
"Oh, very good! Did that pay well for you?" The man asked, seeming genuinely interested.
Spearman decided to take the bait. "Not really, only a 25 percent cut for us."
"Aw, that's too bad. Really. I mean, surely, the great Hero pays more than that!" The man replied in what Spearman assumed was fake shock.
"For me, it's less of a chance to get a good payout, and more of a chance to work alongside her."
The man nodded. "Mmmyeah, but it sure don't pay the bills, am I right?"
The man laughed at his own joke, but Spearman was vigilant.
"Now, while you were gone, some things have changed. And you know, I can understand the confusion, you just got back, and all of a sudden things are really different. So let me explain."
He put down his fork and wiped his face with a napkin. "These potatoes are great, Miss Padfoot."
"Thank you, Mister Fellkin." Padfoot replied, not as enthusiastic as her normal self.
"Oh, right. Norm Fellkin. I know, you don't do "first name, last name" here, but I don't really have a title. Now you see, what I do, is...essentially, our operation looks at primitive, backworld places like yours, and try to spice things up a bit! Give you guys an opportunity, to take a look at the things greater than just, I don't know, goblin slaying!" The man explained passionately.
"I'm not buying it. You captured this town and you're using services that aren't yours." Spearman declared defiantly.
"Oh, please. Like that old sack you call your king ever cared about losing a town. But me, I do. Which is why I offered the Guild protection, in exchange for services they provide. This is one of them, I admit, I'm a sucker for good liquor."
He chuckled. "But, look at it this way, there are good things in store for both me, and you."
Spearman stood up. "Well. Look at it this way." He started to walk away, but then turned suddenly and brandished his spear. "We are Adventurers. And I think I speak for all of us when I say-"
The doors opened forcibly. Everyone turned to the door. A man clad in strange armor stood there, scanning the hall, before setting his eyes on the man, Norm. A tattered cape fell from his back. Spearman took a minute to notice the intricate craftsmanship that would have been required to produce a suit of armor this exquisite.
Norm heaved a sigh, and turned to Spearman. "You should probably go sit somewhere else for now."
"Alright. But I'm not done." Spearman growled.
"Sure you aren't." Norm muttered under his breath. The figure in armor began walking over.
The hall seemed to return to normal, but with a strange and eerie loom. Only whispers were heard, but nobody seemed to pay attention anymore.
Heavy Knight approached Spearman. "You are an idiot."
Spearman ignored him and sat down. "Hey! Did you hear me? You are a goddamn idiot! What the hell did you think you were going to accomplish?"
"I don't know, maybe rally some actual Adventurers by my side." Spearman shot back.
Heavy Knight hooted. "Hohoho, buddy, Norm is a cutthroat, and so are his men. You have no idea how hard we tried to stop them, but in the end, we had to act in the interest of the Guild and the townspeople. They were going to start massacring civilians if we didn't surrender."
"You're pathetic." Spearman challenged. "All of you."
Meanwhile, the armor-clad man sat down next to Norm.
"What drinks do you sell?" He asked in a projected, monotone voice.
"Whiskey and meade for non-members." Padfoot replied.
"I'll try the whiskey." Came a reply.
"Ahh, you should really consider joining the Guild, my friend. Such good things come out of it."
Norm took a bite of his potatoes. "I'll pay double."
The figure paid him no heed, instead staring ahead, unmoving like a statue.
"Would you like ice in it?" Padfoot asked.
"Yes please. Lots of ice." The man replied.
Norm took another bite. "Triple."
"Anything to eat today, sir?" Padfoot said.
"What do you have for soup?"
"Chicken and tomato."
"Chicken I guess. In a small bowl. To go."
"Coming right up." Padfoot replied, walking into the back.
While she was in the back. Norm turned to look at the man, who still did not pay any attention to him.
"Quadruple is my final offer."
Silence.
"Fine. Have it your way."
He gestured to the two purple men, who got up from their seats and slowly walked over to the counter.
Adventurers heads were now turned. Spearman noted that the guards seemed somewhat tense, as opposed to their previous relaxed positions.
"You should never have come here. I operate in 21 different systems. And you just managed to find the hive and kick it." Norm said.
Padfoot Waitress came out with the bowl, but then froze seeing the two purple men flanking the armored man.
"Can I have my drink?" The armored man seemed completely unfazed, reminding Padfoot Waitress of a certain other armored man.
"I don't believe the Guild told you about my two enforcers, did they?" Norm asked. "They were former 501st, but decided mercenary work was more...rewarding. Very deadly and very, very expensive, I think you would imagine."
One of the purple men pulled out a staff and twirled it. The ends ignited with purple electricity, sparking and fizzing. The other brandished two batons with the same purple electricity sparking on the ends. Both got into different stances.
"Can I have my drink?" The man repeated.
Padfoot Waitress, the poor soul, looked at the man, and then Norm.
"Go ahead. It'll mask the taste of his own blood." Norm nodded.
Heavy Knight and Female Knight approached the counter.
"Gentlemen, if I could ask you to take your business outside, I think the rest of the Adventurers here would be at ease." Female Knight requested.
"And what are you gonna do if we say no, shrimpnugget?"The purple man with the staff asked, sizing her up.
Female Knight blinked, as if to reflect on past memories between the two. She looked over to the strange figure, still sitting there.
"Sorry, friend." She said, walking back with Heavy Knight.
Norm turned to Padfoot Waitress. "Well?"
Padfoot snapped out of her stupor, and with a mournful frown, handed the cup to the armored man, who took it.
"Enjoy." Norm said.
"Thanks. I will." The man replied.
"Oh, so you do talk to me. I thought maybe you didn't like m-" Norm began, but was immediatley cut off by the sudden smash of the cup against his face. The impact caused him to drop to the floor.
The former 501st Troopers moved in for the kill. The armored man moved quickly, stopping the staff-wielder by grabbing his elbow and twisting it before stabbing him in the back with a concealed knife, and taking out a small device, which shot a red blast of light at the baton-wielder's head, killing him instantly.
Norm's eyes widened, before scrambling to his feet and booking it for the door.
The armored man pointed his arm at the man, hand in a horizontal fist. From his wrist shot some kind of wire which wrapped itself around Norm's leg, pulling him down. Norm struggled against the armored man's pull, in vain.
He was now on the ground, staring up at the helmet of the armored man, who's visor seemed to peer into his soul. Then he spoke.
"I can bring you in hot, or I can bring you in cold. Your choice."
Norm struggled, attempting to reach for his hidden blaster pistol inside his boot.
"Cold it is."
The armored figure stepped on the man's boot, and he cried out in pain. He then pressed a button on his wrist. The double doors opened, and a hollow black rectangle, floating off the ground, hovered inside.
"No, please. I hate carbon sickness." Norm pleaded.
"That's too bad."
The armored figure pushed Norm into the rectangle. From each corner, a blast of some kind of gas clouded his body. He yelled in what must have been terrible pain, before going silent. The cloud dissipated, and the Adventurers took in the sight of the man they feared for so long, frozen in fear. Literally.
"Holy crap! He just carbon froze the boss!" One of the guards cried.
The guards turned to regard the Adventurers, who just realized they had the upper hand.
"Get them!" Spearman shouted, more than happy to rally his fellow Adventurers.
The scene that ensued was chaos. The guards booked it out the doors, demoralized and chased by a mob of deadly Silver Ranks, shouting battle cries and chanting spells. As for the armored figure, he simply walked over to the counter, picked up his bowl of soup, and walked out the door, followed by the floating rectangle. He reached the end of town.
"Hey!"
He turned.
High Elf Archer sprinted over, followed by Dwarf Shaman and Lizard Priest. Priestess struggled to keep up.
"Yes?"
"Is that you, Orcbolg?"
"Who?"
"Goblin Slayer!" Priestess said.
"I have no idea who you're talking about." The man replied.
"You sure? You sound a lot like him." High Elf Archer pressed.
"Why don't you just go join in on the fun, kid? I've got more important things to do." The man said.
"I'm 2,000 years old, bucko!" High Elf Archer shot back. "Count them!"
"Yeah, but from experience, you were probably in diapers for a quarter of them." The man replied.
Dwarf Shaman burst out in laughter. "Ahh, that was a good one, my friend! I'll be sure to use that sometime."
"Humpf! I would expect you to say something like that, stupid dwarf!" The archer huffed.
"Look, I hate to act like you're all not worth my time, but I really don't feel like playing icebreakers. So unless you have something you need me to do, please just...leave me alone."
"Right. We apologize for our interruption, stranger." Lizard Priest spoke up, being the negotiator of the group. "Thank you for what you've done."
Priestess stepped forward. "Yes. We do very much appreciate it."
"Don't mention it. It's all part of the job." The man replied. "And by don't mention it, I mean actually don't mention anything that happened to anyone. The less people know, the better."
"Ah, but isn't that how legends grow? Word spreads and-" Dwarf Shaman began, before being cut off.
"I don't want to become a legend." The man replied. "I want to survive, so I can pass on what I've learned."
He paused, before staring at the group. "This is the way."
He then walked away, leaving the group to ponder what he had said.
"I swear to any and all gods, if he isn't Orcbolg, he is hands-down related to him."
Thus begins a new crossover. I gotta say, I had my eyes on this for a while, but I wanted to find a time to watch the Mandalorian first. And now that I watched it, I totally think it's possible. I am considering putting this ahead of Revanite, because I'm not too crazy about OCs. Hope you all enjoy the next one, which hopefully I will make sometime soon. Expect updates to other stories in the near future.