“Daniel!” Khy’ra gasps, smiling up at the adventurer as he steps into her Clinic.  Weeks of travel after the attack had been thankfully quite slow and boring.  This time around, the trip had passed through numerous villages and a few towns but none with beginner dungeons.  The pair had spent their time at these new towns and villages sightseeing for the most part, each stop no longer than a day and often only a few hours.  Slightly spooked, the wagons had moved at a quicker pace than normal and so the pair had actually arrived back early in Karlak by a day.  Having delivered their goods to an enthused Maximillian, the pair had split up immediately.

Daniel smiles, stepping forwards and wrapping his arms around Khy’ra, kissing her passionately before pulling away as sudden guilt flashes through him.  Seeing the change in experession, Khy’ra stops and pushes at him gently, murmuring, “What’s wrong?”

“I…” Daniel frowns, searching for a way to say this before just going with the bald truth.  “I slept with someone else.”

“Oh…” Khy’ra sighs and steps back, blue eyes raking over the man.  They glimmer for a moment as she does so before she speaks.  “Was she pretty?”

“Umm… a bit,” Daniel says.

“A bit,” Khy’ra repeats and Daniel nods.  “Really?  Just a bit?”

“I was drunk!” Daniel adds, grimacing.  “I’m sorry, it’s not an excuse.”

“It’s not, but I’m not angry about you sleeping with her,” Khy’ra says and smiles slightly at Daniel.  “We never made any promises to each other after all.  And really, I’ve been alive and will be alive for many more years.  I’ll have many more lovers than you dear boy, so why would I begrudge you yours?”

Daniel blinks, then nods slightly, exhaling.  His reasoning had been along those lines too but… his thoughts fall to disarray as Khy’ra raises a finger.

“But, I am disappointed about the betrayal,” Khy’ra continues, blue eyes flashing again.

“You just said…” Daniel stutters, confused.

“You did not betray me, but yourself,” she taps with her finger at his chest, continuing.  “You felt it was wrong did you not?  So it matters not whether I viewed it wrong, you betrayed yourself.  And for that, I am disappointed.”

Daniel opens his mouth and then shuts it, blinking in understanding.  She was right - he had struggled with his actions.  He had chosen badly and he had felt guilty about it - and even if she herself did not think it was a betrayal, it was one of himself.

“Oh…”

“For that dear boy, I must enact suitable punishment,” Khy’ra continues, stepping forward and then pushing gently at Daniel, guiding him out of the door.  Daniel opens his mouth then shuts it under the firm gaze of the blonde Elf.  Door shut on him, Daniel grimaces and stares at the empty Clinic, wondering what to do.  After all, he had sent everyone home.

Inside the room, Khy’ra leans against the door, eyes half-closed.  It pained her to make the boy leave, but if she had taken him to bed, he would have learn the wrong lesson.  Still, it was a pity, she had missed him.

“Late!” Asin grumbles at Daniel as he hurries up to her at the dungeon entrance.  He flashes her an apologetic shrug of his shoulders having spent the night drinking alone.  His head pounded and he still wasn’t sure - were they broken up permanently? Or just that night?  Should he try to see her again tonight?  His rambling thoughts are brought to a stop as Asin asks.  “Ready?”

“Yes,” Daniel shakes his head, pushing the thoughts aside and he makes a quick check of his weaponry and armor, adjusting his backpack one last time before they enter the dungeon and activate the portal stone.

“Mine?” Daniel asks as they spot their first Ogre.  Asin just yawns, hiding her teeth with her furry hand.  Not waiting any further, Daniel rushes the Ogre that has started running to him, focusing on the battle.

He staggers his steps, breaking his timing for a brief moment to throw off the Ogre’s swing, letting the club swing by him as he steps in and engages Perin’s Blow.  The thrust from under the monster with his mace pushes the mace into the creature’s body, throwing the creature upwards long enough for Daniel to slam the rim of his shield into it’s airborn body.  The Ogre falls backwards, doubled over by repeated strikes to its stomach and diaphragm and Daniel takes the time to line up an overhand strike on its head.  He bends with his knees, putting his weight behind each attack before repeating the strike again and again, never letting up even as the Ogre attempts to strike him.

As Daniel stands over the dispersing body, breathing heavily, Asin calls out a warning and points.  In the distance, a trio of Ogres are jogging to the pair to take revenge.  Sliding his mace into his belt again, he reaches for his crossbow and loads a bolt quickly, sighting down the weapon before firing.  The bolt flies through the sky, slamming into a thigh and Daniel curses as he works the crossbow.  He was aiming for the Ogre to the right of this one.  Could he not do anything right?

Asin steps up to buy Daniel time, throwing a pair of blades that blossom into a storm as she activates the skill.  The Ogres duck and twist, attempting to dodge the blades.  Most of the knives miss except for a pair that embed in the unlucky Ogre.  The creature groans, blades and arrow embedded in its body.  Loaded, Daniel aims and fires another bolt, this one lodging in the monster’s chest and bringing it to its knees.

Daniel drops the crossbow by his side, pulling his mace out as he steps forward to tackle the monster on the right while Asin fades to the left, tossing her knives with more care as the monsters near.  As a swing comes swinging down overhand, she darts forward and to the side, raking the exposed arm with her blade as she closes in on her opponent, her enchanted aura sending electricity through the contact and forcing the arm to spasm.

Daniel’s Ogre stops just outside of its range, swinging first one then the other arm as it wields two crude short clubs.  Unable to find a good opportunity, Daniel feints to the left and then ducks right, aiming for the last injured opponent.  He feels a club glance off his shield, the blow sending tremors through his body as the Ogre instinctively lashes out and then he’s past and rushing the last Ogre.

He triggers his Double Strike skill the moment he gets into range, taking his opponent’s attack on his shield with a grunt and feeling his arm and shoulder compress, flaring in pain under the heavy strike.  Still, he stays focused and lands both blows sending electricity dancing through the monster at the points of impact, dancing to the right immediately as the monster exhales, washing him with its fetid breath.  The Ogre finds it difficult to keep up with his smaller and faster opponent, injured as it is and for a moment, Daniel finds himself facing its back.  Twisting at his hips, Daniel puts as much strength into the next attack that he can while triggering Perin’s Blow, smashing his mace into the Ogre’s back, targeting its kidney and sending it flying into its brethren.

The Ogre lets out a breathless scream, bowling over the other monster before breaking apart.  As the other Ogre pushes upwards with one hand, Daniel targets its other arm, raining blows on the fragile forearm bones and shattering them to make the monster release its weapon.  Devoid of its secondary weapon, Daniel alternates strikes with the monster now, no longer forced back by the attacks.

Asin meanwhile weaves under each attack thrown at her, slashing and stabbing at the exposed arm till the Ogre is forced to drop its club.  She then proceeds to cut and stab the monster, ducking under increasingly desperate attacks, always dodging by the smallest margin that she dares to, relying on speed and skill.  Each attack sends light dancing, making the creature flinch again and again.  As her opponent finally collapses, she turns to Daniel to find him beating on his opponent.  Yet, a night spent drinking and thoughts about Khy’ra make him slow and sloppy.

An overhand blow that should be easy enough to block comes crashing down onto Daniel’s shield.  The block is just a touch too slow, the angle wrong and instead of being caught fully, the club smashes past the shield and skips off, glancing off to land a blow on Daniel’s temple.  He staggers and before he can recover, a backhand strike lands knocking him out.

Asin yelps, charging and throwing a Piercing Shot before the Ogre can land a third blow.  The knife drills into the Ogre’s arm, forcing it to drop its weapon even as she charges forward to protect her friend.

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When Daniel awakens, he does so with the taste of a dead rat in his mouth.  He coughs, pain shooting through his head as his tender temple rings.  He whimpers, curling up slightly as the pain washes over him.  Staying silent, he concentrates on his Gift, pulling it from his core to search for the cause of his pain.

Bruising on his face, a cracked skull and minor swelling were the main culprits.  Better - much better than he had expected truth be told.  Focusing, he lowers the swelling and stitches the skull back together with his Gift to give him relief from the pain before he begins to cast his Minor Healing spell.

As he finally opens his eyes fully, he sees Asin squatting a short distance away watching over him.  He shudders, remembering the sickening crack of wood on bone, the flash of pain and then, nothing.

“You saved me,” Daniel says, working his mouth.  “You used a healing potion too didn’t you?”

Asin nods and then shrugs.  Of course, she did, they were partners.  That was what they did after all.

“Thanks,” Daniel says and stands, his body mostly healed.  Fighting distracted on this level was a bad idea.  Without a full set of heavier armor, any lucky blow could cause problems.  Of course, getting a helmet would probably be a good idea, but Daniel was leery of spending the coin for it when he was going to get a full set of better armor soon. 

“Ready?” Asin growls and Daniel pauses, rubbing at the dried blood on his temple. 

“No… not really,” Daniel decides suddenly, shaking his head.  “I’m sorry, perhaps we can try this on another day?”

Asin nods.  She was not sure what it was, but Daniel was obviously not all here today.  Grimacing, she turns to pick her way back to the dungeon entrance.  Ah well, she’ll head back up to the fifth floor by herself then.  No reason to not earn more coin.

“Daniel!” Litzburn calls out in greeting, walking over to greet the young Adventurer as he comes into the training grounds.  The large, ebony skinned master-at-arms smiles at his former student, shaking his hand with his own scarred, calloused one.  “Are you here to train?”

“Yes, I think so,” Daniel says.

“That’s not a very sure answer,” Litzburn chuckles, running a hand over his bald scalp to clear some sweat.  “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.  Just, a lot on my mind,” Daniel shakes his head, glancing at the training weapons.  “Maybe I’ll just work the bags for a bit.”

“You’re always welcome,” Litzburn says, waving goodbye to Daniel as he returns to his other students.

Later, after Daniel has settled in and Litzburn has watched the young man work the training posts desolutely, he walks over and taps Daniel on his shoulder.  So lost in thought is the young Adventurer that he completely misses Litzburn’s approach.  “Enough.  You’re shaming me and yourself.  You won’t learn anything but bad habits doing that.”

Daniel lips twist and he hangs his head, rubbing the back of his neck as he apologises, “Sorry.”

“Come.  Let’s talk,” waving to his sub-instructors to take over, he walks the young Adventuer to a nearby bench.  “Problems with Khy’ra?”

“Yes.  No.  Maybe,” Daniel answers immediately and then stops, collecting his thoghts properly. “It’s not just that.  It’s… well, can I ask some advice?”

“Of course.”

Speaking hurriedly, Daniel blurts out the entire story of the guilds, of being asked again and again to join, of the potential benefits offered.  He speaks fast, trying to get the story out and along the way he mentions his issues with Khy’ra too, of how he cheated - but it wasn’t really cheating, except it was - and what happened.  In the end, he runs down while Litzburn just nods.  It is a good thing that Daniel speaks with his head down, for at times, Litburn’s lips twitch and amusement dances in the older man’s eyes.  Ah, the tragedies of youth.

“I would not despair, I do not think that the Elf will cast you aside for such a matter.  I believe your current predicament is punishment enough,” Litzburn says, lips twitching before he continues.  “I believe you will not make the same mistake again, no?”

“Yes.  Ummm… no?  I won’t make the mistake,” Daniel nods firmly.  “It was stupid.  And… not that good.”

“Mmm… you bed an Elf young one.  And one who I understand is still quite energetic between the sheets.  I fear if you compare your future companions to her, you will be inevitably be disappointed,” Litzburn replies and then claps him on the back.  “At least technically.  There is much to be said for passion though.”

“Oh.  Right,” realising what he is speaking about, Daniel flushes and looks down, suddenly uncomfortable.  “Right.”

“As for your problem with the guilds, few in this hall would find your circumstance a problem.  Guilds rarely chase after melee fighters,” Litzburn waves his hand around the training hall where his students work hard to hone their abilities.  “Still, that is little comfort for you.  For myself, I joined the moment I could - though that was after I completed my own Beginner Dungeon.  Mary on the other hand waited for many years before she did, preferring to adventure on her own.”

“Mary has a guild?” Daniel perks up, remembering his earliest friend and the owner of the school he sits in.

“True, but hers would not fit you.  She joined the White Scales and they only recruit Expert Adventurers and up,” Litzburn answers.  “If you decide to join a guild, be sure to understand what they ask for and what is required to leave them.  Each guild must register their charter and members with the Adventurers Guild itself, so it’s always best to speak with them direct.”

“Thank you,” Daniel nods, standing up finally.  Well, at least he learnt a little more but mentioning the Guild reminded Daniel that there was another who he could ask for advice.  “I think I’m done for the day.”

“Yes, I certainly agree,” Litzburn chuckles, clapping the younger Adventurer on the back.  “Come back another day.  We still need to work on your form.”

“Afternoon Liev,” after standing in line, Daniel is finally able to speak with the scruffy, red-headed attendant. 

The middle-aged man looks up, rubbing at an ink splotch on his fingers absently.  “Daniel.  I see you are back.  Did you just return?”

“No, we arrived last night.  I was hoping to speak with you?” Daniel gestures over to the tables to the side and Liev nods, waving one of the other attendants to take over his spot.

“What is this about?’  Liev sits, noting the absence of Asin and wondering if there are issues with the pairing.  It was after all not uncommon for adventuring parties to break up.

Once again, Daniel speaks of his invitations to join the guilds, leaving out his issues with Khy’ra.  He was still somewhat embarrassed he discussed the matter with Litzburn and was certainly not going to discuss the matter again.  After he is done, Liev sits silently, staring at the younger man and then sighs, fingers rubbing together again as he scrubs at the ink spot.  “I’m sorry Daniel.  I should have informed you about them before you left.”

“It’s fine,” Daniel says immediately.

“No, I should have warned you.  I knew local groups would want to work with you, but I had forgotten your generosity with your healing gifts.  It was bound to attract attention on your travels,” Liev continues before shaking his head.  “I should have warned you.”

“Warned me?” eyebrows lowering, Daniel squints at Liev.

“Yes.  The guilds that Adventurers make within Ours, they are both a great help and a great hindrance,” Liev says.  “We have had to forcefully disband more than one group, relieving the leaders of their membership and reassigning Adventurers.  It is a lot of work because some can’t handle the power that such a group can provide.  The benefits they speak of is true, but many groups also attempt to control their members quite firmly for these benefits. 

“I would have wanted you to avoid their attention for a while longer, but it is done.  For now, I recommend you complete your current quest.  Whatever your decision, being both more experienced and with better armour will stand you in better favour.”

“Should I join one then?  Litzburn suggested I do.”

“Litzburn did well with his guild before he retired.  Others haven’t been as lucky,” Liev answers immediately.  “If I were you, I would not trust my ability to others, no matter how kind they seemed.”

Lips twisting, Daniel nods.  Right.  His Gift.  He had forgotten again how that could make things more difficult for him.  “Thanks Liev.”

“It is a big decision Daniel.  Take your time making it,” Liev says, smiling and stands.  “Now, if that is all…?”

Daniel nods absently, letting the man leave as he falls back into thought.  Neither of these men had helped him make a decision.  Well, except perhaps about Khy’ra.

“Daniel,” Khy’ra smiles slightly, having spoken only after watching as Daniel finishes wrapping up the cut on the carpenter’s arm.  The carpenter bobs a head in thanks to both, heading out of the examination room to drop a coin in the donation jar.

“Khy’ra,” Daniel answers, shifting slightly.  Having nothing more to do and tired of thinking, he had come to the Clinic to work.

“How are you?”

“I’m… well,” Daniel rubs at his neck, extending a hand tentatively.  Khy’ra crosses over, taking it and he smiles slightly, relaxing.  “I’m... sorry.”

“As I said, you have nothing to be sorry to me about.  Your apology should be to yourself,” she says, leaning forwards and kissing him gently.  “I just wanted you to think it over.”

Daniel nods, “Yeah.  I think I understand what you were saying.”

“Good,” she smiles slightly, giving him a hug.  “I just wanted to say hi.  There’s still a lot of work to do.  But we can speak, tonight?”

“Tonight,” Daniel replies, smiling and returning the hug before reluctantly letting her go.

“So, you’ve been approached by the guilds then.  At least, they don’t know of your Gift,” Khy’ra says, looking up at him from his chest as they lie on her bed.

“Yeah, Liev says it would be worst if they did,” Daniel answers.  “It’s stupid really, it’s not as if I could use it during combat or something.”

“Mmm…. You are too used to having it Daniel.  Having your party, your entire guild constantly in top shape?  Not having to spend gold on potions?  It would be a great help.  Too many groups find themselves forced to either work partly injured or tired or paying for potions.  And on longer delves in more advanced dungeons?  Your Gift would be a lifesaver,” Khy’ra says.  “You have a lot of power here, a lot of leeway.”

Daniel slowly nods, absently letting his hand run down her bare back, feeling the smooth skin under his fingers, “So you think I should join a guild?”

“Mmm… I think you shouldn’t stop doing that.  And that you should remember your earlier lesson.”

Daniel pauses, hand hovering for a moment.  Earlier lesson?  Oh… as he begins to put it together, he finds his thoughts interrupted by soft lips and he pushes it aside.  Some other things take precedence.