I leapt from Raina’s arms as we approached the building. My bite hadn’t fully healed, yet, but it was enough. If anything was lurking within those walls, it would have one hell of a fight on its hands.

The door creaked as it hung loosely as one out of three hinges tried desperately to keep it up. The frame had been smashed in several places.

“Mother’s wards should have strengthened the door beyond regular brute force,” Raina whispered.

“Where is your mother now? Was she in the house?”

Raina looked down. “No. I danced for her spirit the week before last.” Though I was unfamiliar with that particular tradition, the intent behind it was clear. Raina was in mourning.

“You stay here,” I said. She was far bigger than me, far easier to detect and ambush. I was a much better choice to go in. Carefully, I crept over the threshold.

I imagined it would have been a quaint little cottage in its undisturbed state: a crackling fireplace with a pot inside warming the evening meal, several comfortable chairs, cupboards filled to bursting with bottles of every herb imaginable, a large cauldron inside a ritual circle bubbling with the latest alchemical brew the witches had concocted.

Now, though…it was none of that. The fireplace was cold, and the pot had been flung to the side. Pillows had been sliced apart, feathers covering the floor like the blood of a violent murder scene. Every bottle in the cupboards had been smashed on the ground, leaving a hazardous field of sharp glass scattered across the kitchen. Nearby, the cauldron had been cracked down the middle by some immense force.

The most interesting part, at least for me, was the scent though. This was not the work of some random beast wandering in from the woods. Many men had been here. Traces of them lingered for a keen nose like mine, and the threads of scent crisscrossed the room like a spiderweb of intent. They knew what they were doing, then they left.

In the corner, by the fireplace, there were two sets of stairs. Fearing more enemies lurking above or below, I padded quietly to them. Upstairs, a small hallway and two bedrooms yielded a very similar scene: pillows strewn across the floor, clothes taken from their place and thrown to the ground, mirrors shattered.

However, the cellar was an entirely different story. Of all the damage the intruders had done, none of it amounted to the horrible scene that had been left for Raina below.

The cellar seemed to largely be used for storage, except that the barrels had been carefully moved to the side to draw a large circle in blood. Smelling it, I knew that it was Raina’s, and it was several days old. The candles had burned down, and one appeared to have exploded from the magic being channelled. Without a doubt, I knew this was the circle that had summoned me to this world.

However, the intruders had added their own flare to the artwork of Raina’s spellwork…destroying the masterpiece entirely. Inside, written in a red fluid that was meant to resemble blood, were the words: “Death to the Unholy Hellspawn.” In addition to the words, the intruders had created a small effigy with straw for hair and hung it by its neck from the ceiling.

Some people just can’t help but be overly dramatic. The words weren’t even written in blood. The fluid smelled sweet, like berry jam or something. It was hardly the work of anyone with any level of competence.

The real question in my mind was who they considered the “Hellspawn” to be? Were they referring to me, having recognized the purpose of the summoning circle? I was a fiend, after all, regardless of my current form. I’d likely been summoned from a hellish world from beyond Atria. Then again, I wasn’t confident that they were smart enough to put that little connection together.

I considered it infinitely more likely that they were after Raina. After all, Matron Wilhemina had called Raina’s casting “unholy.” If memory served, Amsiii had said that “unholy” was the word associated with absorption casting, the kind that turned you into a monster if you weren’t careful. I was starting to think that there was more to it than Amsiii had let on…

Padding softly around the room once to make sure no enemies remained, I returned to my summoner upstairs. She sat on the front porch, looking out at the forest instead of the demolished state of her home.

“It’s safe,” I told her.

“Who would do this, Malzy?” Fluid leaked from her eyes and her shoulders shuddered. I didn’t have an answer. All I could do was sit down next to her and be near as she continued to cry.

After several minutes, she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, without a word, she turned and entered the house. I followed her as she picked through the broken glass, picking out what herbs may be salvageable.

“Mother’s spellbook is missing,” she said softly after we’d explored the upper floors together. “They took all her jewels, too. Most of them were magical.” She began to walk towards the cellar stairs, but I darted in front of her.

“What are you looking for?” I asked. If she had gotten that upset over the idea that her home had been violated, I didn’t know how she’d react to the threats that waited below. I had little use for a sniveling hench-human filled with fear. Better that I search in her place.

“Mother’s broom and her magic candles.” She tried to move past me, but I blocked her feet once again.

“Where would those be?”

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Why do you ask?”

“Don’t ask questions. Just be grateful that a magnificent being like me is willing to brave the dark for you.”

“I haven’t been afraid of the dark since I was six,” she said, once again trying to step past me. I hissed at her, which finally seemed to get through to her the strength of my stance on the subject. “Fine. Her broom should be in the far corner, and the unused candles were on a barrel to the left of the circle.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Only once she backed off did I descend below. As I’d begun to expect, the unused candles were nowhere to be found. I searched the place twice over and found nothing. The broom, however, I did find…in pieces. The intruders had snapped it into four pieces and strewn it about the cellar.

But…why? Why did they break the broom, but take everything else magical in the house? If their goal had just been to steal everything magical and sell it, then the broom would have been just as profitable as the rest, right?

I gathered the pieces together and magically carried them upstairs. Raina held the pieces gently, stroking the wood of the handle.

“Mother had a spell to repair things like this,” she muttered. “It was in her book, but I don’t know it.” Tears filled her eyes again, but she set her face in determination, not letting them fall. “A great witch would know that spell without thinking.”

“Your mother probably was a great witch.”

“I know she was.” Raina stood and grabbed a sack from a nearby chest. “But, I’m going to be even greater. I’m going to make her proud.”

“How do you intend to do that?”

“We’re going back to town,” she explained. “I’ve told myself for years that I’d join the adventurer’s guild once I had a familiar of my own to protect me from corruption. We’re going to do just that.” She sighed and smiled sheepishly. “And because they found mother’s stache of gold in the chrysanthemum cupboard.”

“Meaning we are completely broke.”

She held out ten silver pieces. I may not have known the value of this currency, but I doubted very much that it would amount to any significant wealth. If it wasn’t enough to buy even a single fish, then we really were in trouble.

“Alright, then to the adventurer’s guild?”

* * *

Luckily, there were no snakes on our return trip. I assumed they were all dead, and even if they weren’t, those who remained were smart enough to know a greater threat when they saw them walking down the road to town. However, it didn’t stop me from warily eyeing the grass for any sign of scales and feathers.

Raina didn’t stop in the line that waited at the gates. It seemed the guards only cared to search newcomers and those with carts to bring in for trade. Since we had only a single pack between us, we were not considered a threat.

“So, what is this ‘Adventurer’s Guild?’” I asked as we began to climb the hill towards the center of Aldar.

“It’s a guild for people who want to better themselves and become great warriors and mages,” she explained. “Although, our particular branch is a bit…shall we say…undisciplined?”

“Undisciplined?”

“You’ll understand soon.”

When Raina finally stopped, we stood before a rather raucous tavern. Laughter and cheering were followed by the sounds of splitting wood. A large sign above the door declared the place as the Laughing Lute Inn and Tavern. A much smaller sign hung below that read: “Certified Guild Outpost.”

“Every tavern that serves as a guild outpost is operated by a member of the guild,” Raina said as we crossed the threshold. “We just have to find the one who-”

She didn’t even finish her sentence before something streaked past her head. I leapt from my perch. There was danger! It had snuck up on us! I fluffed my tail and prepared myself to fight.

“Sorry!” called a voice from further in. “Misfire!” I didn’t know which of the many people within gave the apology, as they all just went right back to their business as if nothing had happened at all. Raina just stared at the arrow that had embedded itself in the doorframe behind her.

“I’m starting to think this wasn’t such a good idea,” I said.

My summoner gripped the strap of her bag and set her expression with the same determination I’d seen back at the cottage. She had her heart set on this, and all I could do was pad quietly at her heels.

The tavern was large enough to easily fit Raina’s cottage inside and still have room to spare. Everywhere I looked, an eclectic mix of people gathered around the tables, sharing meals and drinks with reckless abandon. Some of them were dressed head-to-toe in metal armor, while others preferred lighter outfits of leather and cloth. Some held staves, some held swords, and some held bows and pikes and weapons I had no names for.

The only consistent trait shared by every member was an orange band they wore on their left arms. It was emblazoned with a crossed sword and staff.

“Hi there!” called a woman as we approached the bar. She had a head of bright pink hair pulled into a pair of pigtails. “I don’t think I’ve seen your face in here before. Welcome to the Laughing Lute! Sorry about the arrows. The Guildmaster isn’t nearly as tough on guild members as he ought to be.” She suddenly raised her voice. “HEY! Garif! If I see you swing that axe one more time, I’ll break you in half!” Then she lowered it again and smiled. “Now, what can I do for you?”

“We…er…I was looking to j-join the guild.” Raina’s eyes dropped to her feet, and she gripped the strap of her bag even tighter.

“Oh! Looking to sign up? That’s wonderful!” the woman gestured for us to follow as she walked to the end of the bar and pulled some papers out. “I’m Lizzie, by the way.”

“Raina, and this is Malzy,” Raina introduced as I jumped onto the counter to see better.

“Awww, what an adorable familiar, you have,” Lizzie said, offering her fingers for me to sniff. The smell of alcohol covered the long-faded scent of blood. “Now, the guild. We do have a small trial, just to make sure that you’re skilled enough that we won’t be liable for your potential death.” She pointed to the papers. “Simply fill out your name, your level, and your current aptitudes. You’ll be given access to the jobs that the Guildmaster has deemed safe enough for the trial period. Once you prove yourself, you’ll be allowed to take a test job to become a full-fledged member.”

“Safe jobs? That doesn’t seem to fit with what I’ve heard of the guild.” Despite her objections, my witch began to fill out the paper anyway.

“Safer jobs,” Lizzie corrected. “They’ll still rip you in half if you’re not prepared, so please make sure you actually want this career path before attempting one.”

Raina nodded and continued filling out the paperwork with her information before moving on to mine. When all was done, she pressed her finger to the bottom of her page and instructed me to put my paw at the bottom of mine. Lizzie snapped her fingers, and a black paw print formed after I removed my paw.

“Congratulations! You’re now trial members! Now, if you’re looking for a group and a place to get started, I’d recommend talking to Cithrael and Aelisra. They’re the ginger archer and the black-haired paladin by the stage.” Lizzie pointed to where two individuals were sitting much more quietly than the rest of the adventurers.

“Thank you,” Raina said, bowing respectfully to the barkeeper.

“It’s no problem. Guiding New Bloods is my favorite part of the job,” she explained. “Now, don’t let me catch you endangering your fellow members, and we’ll be the best of friends!”

Out of curiosity, as Raina left the bar, I inspected the strange barkeeper. Amsiii responded to the request.

Name: Lizzie Kiverang

Species: Human

Type: Humanoid

Level: 41

Description: A retired adventurer who can still lay younger heroes over her knee, should the situation require it.

Though less information than I had on Raina, it was still more than enough to be wary of the barkeeper. I hadn’t even encountered anything above Level 10, let alone 41. How powerful was she? Definitely didn’t want to get on her bad side…not yet anyway.

The other would-be adventurers waited next to the stage. They didn’t seem to be talking, which I suspected was the reason that Raina’s shoulders became more and more tense as we approached.

“Uh…hi there!” she greeted with an awkward smile.

The woman perked up and turned. As soon as she saw us, she was on her feet, running towards us like an angry bull.