Thankfully, the hides of the five humans were not part of her loot when Sam used the skill. But holy crap, the bandits were loaded! She had started with Lita.
Human Ranger [Lita] Level 48 Items:
32-Gold; 147-Silver; 3-Copper; Recurve Bow of Destruction [5 charge(s) remaining]; Elven Leather Armor of Stealth [43% Magic Resistance]; Elven Leather Boots of Stealth; Elven Gloves of Dexterity; Storage Bracelet [Soul Bound]; Large Mana Potion; Stamina Potion.
Everything automatically transferred to her inventory except the bracelet, which plopped to the ground in front of Sam. Picking it up, she was about to ask Nara how to check the contents when a screen appeared.
Would you like to claim this Storage Bracelet? Y/N
Sam chose 'No' and pocketed the bracelet. She moved on to the rogue, "Pip, was it?"
Human Rogue [Pip] Level 47 Items:
46-Gold; 295-Silver; Dagger of Mortal Dread x 3 [1 charge(s) remaining]; Dagger of Mortal Dread [0 charge(s) remaining]; Silver dagger [Fine]; Leather Armor of Concealment [61% Magic Resistance]; Leather Boots of Dexterity; Bracers of Agility; Storage Ring [Soul Bound]; Large Mana Potion; Vial of Cyan Death Toxin x 2.
The ring did not go into her inventory the same as the bracelet, but Sam expected this and caught it in the air this time. Pocketing the ring, she looted Dale next.
Human Ice Mage [Dale] Level 52 Items:
26-Gold; 18-Silver; 43-Copper; Robes of the Wellspring; Leather Gloves of Heat Resistance; Leather Boots; Ring of Storage; Necklace of Mana Charge [0 MP]; Large Mana Potion x 2.
Sam decided not to read the items from Arron and Alina and only snagged the storage bracer when it appeared before her as she looted Arron. There was no storage item on Alina.
Once she was finished, Sam was exceedingly happy there were no human hides in her inventory.
Sam tossed Arron's bracer to Nara, who dove to the side to avoid it with a yelp. Staring at the Tenarian quizzically, Sam walked over to retrieve the item, and Nara explained.
"I can't touch his items. My contract is still partially active. That is why I also couldn't search their bodies." Nara confessed. She looked around nervously, "…we have been here far too long. I have been unable to create a safe zone in this place, which worries me because I don't know why."
Sam asked, “I thought it was because we were too close to civilization?”
Nara shook her head, "No, that's not it. Although it is true to some extent, you must be close, like within sight of a city. And if you're at a rest stop along a road, a safe zone is guaranteed even without a fire. It won't keep bandits like those out," she gestured to Dale and his companions, "but it will at least ward off many of the roaming monsters."
"Maybe it's because you want to drain me?" Sam said, half serious.
"Maybe," Nara was completely serious. "I'm really not sure though." She waved her hand dismissively and changed the subject. "You should store the bodies. The guards at Helms Peak will want to know what happened. And I intend to collect on Arron's contract." She bent down and started lashing her backpack. Looking up at Sam, she asked, "Are you willing to continue traveling with me? At least to Helms Peak? I will gladly assist you in any way I can in acclimating to this culture in return for mana and food. You can even keep the coin from selling the loot if you like."
"That would be nice, actually," Sam agreed. She didn't trust Nara but wasn't afraid of her either. Going to the bodies, she knelt down to place them in her storage. She stopped her fingers a millimeter from Lita's forehead, the woman's lifeless eyes staring at her. Sam experienced a short mental struggle, "Okay, my storage is a separate dimension that is "linked" to my soul. It's not in my soul. I am not about to put a human corpse in my soul." Her momentary misgiving out of the way Sam stored the five bodies in her inventory. Turning back to Nara, she asked, "How are you going to get into the city looking like, oh."
Nara's skin tone was now olive as opposed to the pale grey of her race. Her nails, eyes, and lips were still blue, though. She had changed from her healers' robes to simple leather clothes. Shouldering her backpack, she smiled at Sam. "You were saying?"
Sam identified Nara again.
‘Bing’ Ice Sorceress [Nara Evander]; [Level 26]; Neutral; Affinity(s): Ice
"So, you can change your identity completely then," Sam was slightly impressed.
"One of the perks of having a Blight," Nara said adding, “Also, my race has always been shapeshifters. The Blights just enhanced our natural abilities.”
Sam let the subject drop and gestured for Nara to lead the way.
***
Sam peppered Nara with questions as they hiked. “What should I do first when I get to Helms Peak? Is there an office I have to register at? What is legal? If I spit in the street, will I end up in jail? Is there a jail? Do you think I could break out of jail with my power…if there is a jail?”
Sam was talking excitedly and not giving Nara time to answer. "Are there nice cozy inns? Do they have roaring fireplaces with delicious things cooking over them? Oh, oh, oh, is there beer? Wine? Please tell me there is wine! I could drink an entire keg of beer and wash it down with a nice glass or ten of wine right now. Throw in some rustic vegetable and beef stew, and I am in!"
Nara grabbed one of Sam's mana threads and squeezed to get her attention. Sam, who had been circular breathing, stopped talking and looked at Nara sheepishly.
Once she had Sam's attention, Nara said, "There are indeed inns with fire and stew, although I do not know what beef is. I assume you mean meat of some sort, so yes, there will be stew, beer, and wine. But first, we need to fulfill Arron's contract with the adventurer's guild, so we have the coin for your, ahem, keg of beer." She ducked under a low branch and held another out of the way for Sam to pass by. Nara finished with, "you will almost certainly end up in jail if you eat and drink as much as you are suggesting. Even with your poison resistance."
"Meh, I was an attorney a couple of weeks ago, and if there is one thing we are good at, it's drinking. You might be surprised, my little Tenarian." Sam mused as they continued through the forest.
***
It wasn't long after their conversation they made it to the road. Sam looked both ways in surprise. The road was freaking amazing. She likened it to what one of the old Roman roads must have looked like in its heyday. Smooth, perfectly spaced cobbles layered a straight road as wide as a two-lane highway, complete with drainage ditches and a shoulder. "Holy crap, building something like this must have taken decades. And how much must it cost to maintain this thing?"
Sam was still staring at the road when Nara interrupted her thoughts, summing all of Sam's wonder into two words, "Earth Mages."
“Oh yeah, magic. How could I forget.” Sam sighed; she was a little disappointed for some reason. "Why do I care if it isn't a medieval engineering marvel. It was probably still tough to make and maintain." She thought. All she said to Nara was, "makes sense. Shall we continue? There's still an hour or so of daylight left, and I have no issues traveling at night."
In answer, Nara turned toward Helms Peak and started walking. When Sam walked up next to her, Nara asked, "Do you have night vision?"
"Nah, I have Mana Sight, which is similar," Sam answered.
"Oh, I see," Nara walked for a time before asking, "Do you require sleep?"
Sam gave her a sideways glance and answered slowly, "No, I do not. Do you?"
"I do, but not much," Nara responded, then said, "Never tell anyone you don't sleep. That information alone gives away the fact that your vitality is over fifty and your endurance is at least thirty-five or higher." She poked a finger at Sam, "Also, you cannot fully eliminate the need for sleep. Even the immortals sleep occasionally. You should keep that in mind and try to nap occasionally for your health."
“Immortals? You mean like gods?” Sam was curious.
Nara shrugged, "some call them that, but most are just extremely powerful individuals who have reached over a thousand in vitality. And broken through their first evolution."
Sam did some bad math. “I could be immortal before I’m level 70?” She asked Nara, "What is an evolution? Do you really need it to become immortal?"
It was Nara's turn to glance sideways, "When your race meets a predetermined threshold, you are given the option to evolve. Many factors determine what level you will be when it happens, but as a human, yours should be somewhere around level 200." Sam's eyes bulged at that number. Nara continued, "If you were to have a vitality of 1000 before that, you would not be immortal; however, your life expectancy would be measured in the tens if not hundreds of thousands of cycles. That is why most mortals focus at least one free point per level in vitality. In fact, if you tell me your vitality stat, I can estimate your maximum age…within a decade or so, assuming the cycles where you are from are similar to here."
Sam was curious, and since Nara had already guessed close to the number anyway, she told her, "It's 60 at the moment, but I could make it 75 if I wanted to."
Nara rubbed her chin briefly, mumbling, "Hmm, vitality of 60, endurance of at least 35, probably 40…right now, you will live at least 700 cycles."
Sam stopped walking. Her mind reeling with that bombshell. She had figured she would live maybe sixty more years if she was lucky and something didn't kill her first. “Seven hundred years…and I have only just started my journey. I have got a lot of shit to rethink. Time to start planning for the very long game I guess.”
Nara took a couple of steps before turning back to Sam. “Is this not common in your world?”
"It's barely more than a tenth of where I'm from," Sam said. She was still a little dazed and struggled to comprehend how long seven hundred years or cycles would be. And that was if she stopped progressing right now.
"Wow, that is just a flicker of life in this world. I should live for at least another four hundred cycles assuming I immediately go into hiding," Nara made a face, "which I will not do."
Sam started walking again, and they continued their journey well into the night. Sam silently contemplated her new reality as they walked side by side. Nara, on the other hand, stayed constantly vigilant on the road.
***
“What is that?” Sam was pointing at the large circular wall of stones standing a little over a meter high on the side of the road. She thought she knew what it was but wanted Nara to confirm.
"It is the final rest area before Helms Peak," Nara confirmed her suspicions. "We don't need to rest here, but I want to confirm I can create a safe zone if you don't mind. And we need to get our stories straight for the gate guards when we arrive."
Sam looked at the moons. It would be a couple of hours before the sun was up, so she figured it couldn't hurt to have a meal. So, she pushed back her growing craving for beer, wine, and good food for just a bit longer and agreed to stop for a while.
Sam and Nara quickly had a fire blazing in one of the fire pits scattered around the large rest stop. They were alone, but there were signs that a caravan had passed through recently from all the piles of scat from the beasts of burden as well as a few broken clay pots strewn about. Once the fire was going, Sam pulled out her lean-to and a couple of log stools she had made, placing them close to the fire.
The two women skewered a steak on giant forks Sam had crafted using her skill. Nara marveled at the creation and was blown away when she learned Sam had made it herself from her mana.
"Samantha, you are truly a wonder. You will be the most sought-after adventurer on this planet if word of your abilities gets out," Nara said almost absently, then thought about it, "that is if you aren't hunted down and experimented on first."
Sam filed that information under Adventurer Good, Experiment Bad. She continued cooking her steak, wondering if they could run the rest of the way to Helms Peak and how long it would take when the notification they had both been waiting for finally came.
'Bing' Temporary Safe Zone recognized. This campsite exceeds all requirements to grant the user(s) temporary System protection for 2 hours unless the fire is doused. Protection level 3: All sound, scent, mana, and light the occupant(s) create inside the perimeter will be obscured from all creatures with hostile intent during the 2 hours this safe zone is in place. Hostile creature(s) will be prevented from entering the safe zone accidentally. The System will inflict a 15% movement penalty on any hostile(s) that breach the perimeter. The occupant(s) will be notified if any hostile(s) breaks the border of the safe zone. Attacks inside the safe zone will not remove the obscuration effect. The safe zone diameter is 100 meters.
Nara let out a breath. She had apparently been more worried than she let on to Sam. Now more relaxed, the two women ate their meals comfortably. Sam finished first and pulled out Arron's bracer for something to do.
Would you like to claim Storage Bracer? Y/N
Choosing "yes," Sam tried to mentally look into the bracer, and a screen opened up like an inventory screen on an RPG back on Earth. Nara was right; this item still had nearly twenty slots open. "Lying sack of…well, best to not think ill of the dead," Sam was still frustrated with herself. She had let her judgment lapse because she was so excited about meeting people in this world.
The bracer was full of many blacksmithing supplies, including bars of various metals. There was a lockbox but no key, so Sam left it alone. There were a couple of changes of clothes and some rations. Then Sam found what she was looking for.
“Wait, your what?” Sam had only caught the last of Nara’s statement.
“My contract,” is it in there?
"You mean this?" Sam asked, removing a small scroll from Arron's bracer. Looking at it curiously, Sam broke the seal with a quick slice of her magic and opened the scroll to read what it said. Nara screamed for her to stop, but it was too late.
'Bing' You have released Nara Evander from her blood contract. As the current owner of the contract is deceased and has not transferred the contract to you before dying, the contract's creator will be notified. This contract is now void, and another contract must be made if you want to control Nara Evander. Contact the Church of the Light if a more detailed explanation is required.
This was followed by.
'Bing' You have released a Tenarian Moonblight from a divine contract. Either knowingly or unknowingly you have done this without the authority to do so. The Church of the Light has been informed. Visit the nearest Church of the Light temple to receive your punishment.
“Oops,” was all Sam could think to say.
Nara just buried her face in her hands and moaned.
***
Finally lifting her head from her hands, Nara said, "I'm aware you aren't from this world, so there is no way you could have known what you were doing, but making an enemy of the Church of the Light isn't something—" Nara stared at Sam, "what are you doing?"
Sam was sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed. She was waving her hands around, her fingers drawing intricate patterns in the air. Sam was mana crafting, and it was taking her total concentration. The scroll started producing magical energy as soon as the system message appeared. The bright energy flew away toward the sky as the scroll dissolved in her hands. Sam had seen this in her mana sight and realized the bright pulses of energy the scroll produced were probably the messages to the creator and the Church.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Reacting instinctively, Sam formed an umbrella-shaped barrier to stop the pulses of light energy from getting out. And it hurt! The power of the light was no joke. Sam's brain felt like it was on fire as each pulse hit her barrier, sending shockwaves of spell backlash into her mind. She quickly turned on meditation and started weaving constructs to keep the pooling light mana from escaping from under her umbrella.
Sam had missed the first few light pulses while reading the notifications, but she couldn't worry about those right now. It was all she could do to keep the light contained. She felt a burning pain start behind her eyes, but she kept pushing through.
Eventually, the scroll finally dissolved, the pulses growing weaker and weaker as it did. The light magic she had trapped in it slowly dissipated from her umbrella. Sam slumped a little; she was utterly exhausted and covered in sweat. The power from that little scroll was no joke. “If that is just a small part of what the Church of the Light can do, I don't want to see their real power. Whoever made that scroll is probably lightyears ahead of me in magical power. They could probably vaporize me and Nara with a thought…speaking of Nara."
Sam opened her eyes to see a slack-jawed Nara squatting in front of her, staring at her intently. Sam jerked her head back, asking, "What? Do I have something on my face?"
Nara reached out and brushed a finger across Sam's cheek without a word. It came back covered in blood. This prompted Sam to wipe her face, and when she saw the amount of blood covering her hands, it caused her to look down. Her lap was covered in blood. She growled in frustration, "dammit! I go through clothes faster than a toddler through diapers!"
Nara asked, "How did you contain the magical discharge from a binding scroll? The priest who bound me had to be at least level 150 or greater…" She trailed off and offered Sam a torn piece of cloth and her canteen.
Sam took the items and started cleaning herself. I don’t suppose you still have that cleanse spell, do you?” She asked Nara hopefully.
Nara shook her head. Sam sighed and continued cleaning the blood off her face and clothes.
While she cleaned up, Sam told Nara, "Some of it got through." When Nara looked at her questioningly, she explained. "The message, some of the light escaped before I could trap it."
“Let’s hope it wasn’t enough for the church to act on,” was Nara’s only response.
She didn't sound overly worried, so Sam let it drop and finished cleaning up. Nara offered to help wash her back, but Sam mentioned no blood was on her back. Nara didn't push her luck and let Sam finish getting as much blood off as she could.
***
“YOU NEED TO EAT WHAT?!?” Sam screamed.
Nara looked around furtively before responding, "Keep your voice down."
"We're in a safe zone," Sam reminded her, "And no, I will not! When exactly were you planning on telling me you eat human flesh?!?!"
"They don't have to be dead! I need a little, maybe a kilogram, every few weeks to sustain my metabolism. Otherwise, I will transition into a Blight Craven and lose control! I—"
Sam cut her off, “A kilogram is not a "little!" And how many freaking forms do you have? You’re like a kaleidoscope of death!”
“I am a natural shapeshifter! I have many forms! There is no shame in that!” Nara had tears in her eyes, “And I have no idea what a kaleidoscope is. But I am not a monster! I would never kill a human for food! That’s why I asked you politely.” She curled her knees to her chest and cried quietly.
Sam didn't know how to feel. On the one hand, Nara had come clean with the fact that she would now have to consume human flesh to survive since her contract was no longer blocking that particular aspect of her race. Alternately, though, she needed to eat humans to stay…human? More human? Human-like? “This world is just one curveball after another,” she thought, her mind in turmoil.
Sam looked at the crying woman next to her and sighed for what felt like the hundredth time this week. She placed a hand on Nara's shoulder, causing her to look up. Sam smiled and apologized, "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I have been trying to roll with all of this," she gestured around her, "but your…proclivity. It caught me off my guard."
Nara sniffed, looking every bit like a whipped puppy, and Sam had to chuckle a little, saying, "I mean, come on, Nara, you did just tell me you eat human. Surely, you knew how that would sound to a human."
Nara sniffed, “I know. But I didn’t want you to find out and think I kept it from you.”
Sam searched her feelings and concluded she didn't think of Nara differently now that she knew about her dietary needs. She decided to roll with it just like everything else. So, she said, "Okay, but I'm not going to let you eat any of the bodies in my inventory," she held up a hand when Nara opened her mouth to protest, "They were sitting out for days. I don't care if you kept them frozen; it is still disgusting. Besides, you've wanted a piece of me since the first day, so—"
Sam summoned the Blade Tail from her inventory. When the body of the large cat appeared, Nara yelped and jumped behind Sam. Laughing a little at the woman's antics, Sam pried open the Blade Tail's mouth. The cat's jaws were still limp and pliable, proving that her inventory was both storage and suspended animation. Reaching inside the mouth of the creature, Sam found what she was looking for and pulled her severed appendage out, displaying it proudly to Nara, who looked at the bloody saliva-covered arm in disgust.
“Oh, give me a second,” Sam grabbed her canteen and cleaned off her arm, the severed one.
As Sam cleaned, Nara commented, " I didn't believe you when you said you killed a Blade Tail. They are notoriously elusive and hard to finish off. Most of them escape before they can be killed when they are found." She moved from behind Sam and stroked the cat's midnight-black fur respectfully. "Such a beautiful animal, and its fur is so soft," she mumbled.
"It's not beautiful when it is trying to eat you," Sam said. She handed her now clean arm to Nara, who took it gingerly with a weak smile.
Nara looked at the arm and back to Sam, who was smiling proudly like a parent who had just given their child an amazing gift. Sam’s smile turned to a frown when Nara continued looking back and forth between the arm and Sam.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked, "Aren't you going to eat it?"
It was Nara’s turn to be incredulous, “you want me to eat it raw? I told you! I’m not a monster!”
Sam had the good grace to look chagrined at Nara’s exclamation. But she couldn’t help thinking, "How was I supposed to know that? Oh, Sam, I'm a Moonblight. My kind are hunted for the evil mana parasite that lives inside us! Also, on a side note, we devour human flesh." Sam grumbled internally, "She never mentioned she liked it well done. So, fine, eat my arm, and while you are at it, why don't you cook it first so I get to listen to it sizzle and smell my skin burning again."
Nara did just that.
Sam wasn’t sure what was worse. Watching Nara fillet and cook her arm or how many times she exclaimed how delicious Sam tasted as she devoured it.
***
"For the last time, no," Nara said with exasperated finality.
The two of them were back on the road and running quickly. Both were ready to be done with the wilderness for a while and the quicker they got to a hot bath and soft bed, the better.
"Oh, come on. Please! Just for a minute! Remember I let you eat my arm." Sam had been trying to get Nara to use her shapeshifting abilities to grow fangs for over an hour now. Still, the Tenarian was insistent it didn't work that way. Now Sam was just enjoying pestering the poor woman.
“Why…are…you so insistent?” Nara asked between breaths.
“You would look so freaking cool with fangs! How can you not see that?” Sam exclaimed.
Nara didn't respond. She was too focused on keeping up with Sam's "medium" pace, which was pushing fifteen kilometers per hour.
Sam’s attention was diverted a moment later when the entrance to the mountain road came into her view. “Finally!” She thought with mounting excitement. They had run past several trade caravans, the largest having nearly fifteen wagons, under the watchful gaze of the guards, along with a few quizzical stares from some of the merchants driving the wagons.
The women slowed at the base of the mountain pass, and Sam pulled Nara off to the side of the road for a final review of the stories they had come up with and to "top off" the Mana Reaper with mana.
They looked around to ensure they were alone and not in earshot of the passing caravans and riders peppering the road. Sam started, "Just to be clear, we are two traveling adventurers coming to seek our fortunes in the surrounding forests."
"Yes," Nara confirmed, "it is a stretch at our low levels, but the guards will probably just think we are crazy and let us through." She snapped her fingers, "Oh, I almost forgot! We need to pull out some coin to bribe the guards or for the "entry fee," as they call it." She looked at Sam, "Arron did have some coin in his bracer, didn't he? What about the bandits? I haven't asked because I didn't want to pry."
“I have…” Sam checked the totals in her inventory, “125 Gold coins, 612 Silver coins, and 240 copper coins.” She looked at Nara, “is that enough?”
“Did you rob a caravan before you met us?” Nara asked.
Sam laughed until she realized Nara was serious, "No, no, no, it's my loot skill. It generates currency for me."
Nara’s eyes widened, “that is a very convenient aspect of your skill. I don’t think I have ever heard of a loot skill providing currency.”
“Maybe it’s because people with the skill want to keep that particular bit of knowledge a secret,” Sam said helpfully, “like I do.”
Nara caught her meaning and said, "I understand. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. And yes, to answer your first question, that is more than enough coin." Nara went into lecture mode, "You have enough gold to live comfortably for years. Do you remember when we were talking about how much city guards get paid?" Sam nodded, "Well, you have over ten years of their salary in gold and six in silver. It's ten copper to a silver and ten silver to a gold. A single silver coin will get you two meals, a bath, and a warm bed for the night. A couple of copper will get you a drink at almost every tavern in the middle district of the city, and even the upper district wouldn't dare charge more than five for a drink."
Sam processed that information, and they discussed their plan a bit longer before Sam fed Nara enough mana that she could defend herself if she was found out. She had already told Sam not to interfere in whatever happened if her true nature was discovered, and Sam had reluctantly agreed to her request.
Two hours and over eighty-thousand mana later, they walked back out of the trees and continued. Nara had a wide smile on her face and a glow about her. They had strapped weapons on and donned their backpacks to make it look like they had no storage items. They now looked every bit like a couple of road-weary travelers.
Sam could only shake her head as the Tenarian wobbled a little when they started running again. Sam laughed to herself as they ran. “Getting mana must feel the same as leveling up. I guess I should feel pretty good about myself. I essentially just gave a girl a two-hour orgasm.”
***
The final five kilometers went by in a flash for Sam. When they rounded the final bend in the road, the cliff faces no longer blocked her view. Sam stopped on the road and looked up at Helms Peak in wonder. She was taken aback at the sheer grandeur of the sight in front of her.
The walls of the city were imposing. Built from a seemingly single piece of stone, they rose into the sky, casting a long shadow across the surrounding area. It was as if they had been carved directly from the mountain itself. Towers dotted the wall, the sharp points of their roofs piercing upward. Massive turrets also dotted the top of the wall. They looked more like the gun turrets on a modern-day destroyer than medieval cannons.
“Wow, this place looks awesome!” Sam commented as they joined the line of individuals queuing for entry into the city. The caravans had their own line apart from the individual travelers, thankfully.
Sam got a good look at the large gates as they drew closer. The massive blue metal gates were adorned with intricate carvings of runic symbols that looked like they had been inlaid with silver. The gate was flanked by several groups of bored-looking warriors with yellow and black banners wearing full plate armor interviewing individuals and searching wagons before they entered.
***
The line moved quickly, and Sam found herself in front of a guard before she even had time to get bored.
“Name and reason for entry,” an extremely bored-looking guard said in a monotone voice.
Taking the lead, Nara said professionally, "Nara and Samantha." She stood up straighter, "We are adventures seeking our fortune."
The guard looked them both over before saying, "Of course you are. What is your reason for entry?"
"We will be applying for entry into the guild and intend to sell a few wolf pelts." Nara produced one of the lower-level pelts, pulling it from Sam's backpack to show the guard.
Sam was impressed. Nara sounded like a young adventurer who had barely gotten her feet wet in her chosen field.
The guard nodded and was about to wave them through but stopped when he focused on the dead ranger's bow Nara had slung over her shoulder. At first, Sam's heart sank thinking he recognized it, but that fear was belayed by how he spoke the following words.
"That is a fine bow for such a low-level adventurer. How did you come across such a weapon like that?" The guard's tone was like honey, his expression laced with greed.
Nara clutched the bowstring across her chest like it was precious and said, "It is a family heirloom passed down from my father."
"Well, isn't that something? I bet that bow is worth my year's wage and then some." He eyed them greedily, "I almost forgot to mention the tax on the wolf pelts you bring. They be in high demand lately, and the city collects their taxes upfront, so there's no funny business inside the walls." He eyed their packs and continued, "Those packs look full, so what do you say, twenty copper per pelt, or if you want VIP passes, I could let you in for, say, five silver each. Heck, I'll even throw in a good word for you at the guild. I got a friend who works there."
Nara looked ready to argue, but Sam gave the guard her most winning smile and pulled ten silvers from her pocket, handing the coins to the guard, saying, "We would love VIP passes, sir…I didn't catch your name."
The guard quickly snatched the coins from Sam's hand and looked around. Seeing no one had witnessed the transaction, he said, "The name's Will. Now, don't you two little birds be getting into trouble. VIP or not, you still have to stay on the up and up." He gave them a fake smile and stepped aside to let them enter.
Sam noted he had surprisingly straight white teeth and was actually quite attractive, “Too bad he’s an extortionist.” She thought as she passed.
Nara punched Sam's arm once they were a few steps away from the guard but still in earshot, exclaiming, "Now we're broke! You better hope these pelts sell, or we'll sleep in the streets!"
That was, of course, so the guard hopefully wouldn't get any ideas about hunting them down and "extorting" the rest of their supposed funds.
Sam ignored Nara; she was too caught up in how busy the city square was when they passed the gate. There were hundreds of people bustling about, weaving around a giant statue of a woman holding a sword in one hand and a book she was reading in the other with the sword pointed to the sky.
The rich smell of exotic spices wafted through the air, reminding her of the outdoor markets she had visited on a trip she had taken to India years before. Everywhere she looked, Sam was confronted by something new and exciting. Merchants were hawking their wares from small kiosks bordering the square, and street performers were dancing and playing instruments. One performer was juggling ten fireballs while balancing on a tiny wooden stick. Vendors were selling delicious-looking foods of all kinds, along with various drinks. The entire place was alive with boisterous energy. Sam loved it.
"There goes the dingy, smelly medieval city with raw sewage running down the streets I had envisioned," Sam pleasantly thought as she eyeballed the nearest food vendor and began stalking toward the poor unsuspecting attendant who stood relaxed, oblivious to her impending attack. She was hungry, and that food smelled divine!
Nara grabbed Sam's arm, diverting her from the delicious food distributor. "Hey, what the hell, Nara?"
"Hurry, we must get to the guild before they close their hall to civilians for the night," was Nara's only answer.
"Fine." Sam grumbled, "They better have beer!"
***
After traveling through more city blocks than Sam cared to count, she was convinced Nara was lost, and they needed to stop at one of the dozens of cozy-looking inns they were passing to ask for directions. The smell of home-cooked food and beer wafting from the taverns and inns was beckoning to Sam, along with the sounds of laughter coming from the doorways leading into the firelit interiors. The establishments promised a warm and inviting atmosphere full of joy and drink.
Nara, whom Sam now considered a soulless heathen, was unaffected by beckoning taverns. Instead, she kept insisting they go straight to the guild. Sam had even suggested that her human species needed beer and wine just as Tenarians needed "human" food, but it was all for naught. The blue-eyed fun sucker wasn't buying it and continued to drag a pleading Sam past every establishment, her thirst going unquenched.
***
The farther into the city they traveled, Sam started noticing fewer taverns and more shops. The buildings were now spaced farther apart, and more and more residential areas were interspersed with storefronts and warehouses. Sam noted clothiers, armorers, jewelers, and storehouses. Everything was clean, with bright colors easily distinguishable in the fading light of the day by magic crystals on top of lamp posts lining the street and illuminating the inside of the shops.
It was almost entirely dark when they finally arrived at the enormous guild hall. The building looked more like the massive mead halls portrayed in Viking lore if the mead halls in question had ten-meter stone walls around them with dual cannon turrets mounted every twenty meters or so. Several guards stood outside the only entrance Sam could see. These guards were much more imposing than the city guards from earlier. Each of them had a rigidity that only came from decades of dedicated military training, and they all sported multiple weapons and specialized armor. For every two guards, there was a mage in expensive but functional robes with them.
“Definitely don’t want to mess with these guys,” Sam couldn't help thinking. They looked like they were all business and knew their jobs very well. Their armor was clean, but even from a distance, she could see the scratches and dents from past battles.
She could see into the courtyard past the gates. From what she could tell, it was lit better than a modern stadium and filled with exercise equipment and even an archery and magic range. Sam completely forgot about her need for adult refreshments, well, almost entirely, and made a beeline for the gate. To her annoyance, Nara again grabbed her arm and dragged her away into one of the few dark alleys a few buildings over.
"What gives Nara?" Sam was annoyed, "First, you insist on coming straight here, and now you stop me from going in." She looked at their surroundings, "And why am I whispering in a dark alley right now?"
"Have you already forgotten how we met?" Nara hissed with frustration, "the job to kill the wolves Arron took. Well, you technically completed it almost all on your own."
"I haven't forgotten. I figured you knew something I didn't and could claim the reward." Sam had been wondering about this, so she asked, "Do we even need the reward? Is it even worth the risk with the amount of coin I have?"
"If we say we completed the job and can prove its difficulty, then we will be given better placement if—when we get our memberships," Nara said.
“Why do we even want a membership?” Sam asked another question that had been bothering her.
"Because," Nara sighed and leaned back against the wall of the alley, "the Adventurers Guild is open to all races and cultures, and if you are a member, even the local authorities have to ask permission to punish you for a crime you commit in their territory."
Sam's eyebrows rose at that revelation, and she blew a low whistle. "Damn. So, we would be above the law?"
Nara shook her head vehemently, "Quite the opposite, actually. The guild's laws are much more stringent than the local ones, and their punishments are much harsher."
"Then why are we doing this? I don't want to be punished because I accidentally broke a rule I knew nothing about in the first place." Sam wasn't convinced this was a good plan.
"Because members cannot be discriminated against because of their race," Nara looked at Sam pointedly, "or their planet of origin." When Sam nodded understanding, Nara said, "Guild members are protected under guild law. If the Church of the Light wants to enslave me again, they must weigh that decision against pissing off the guild. The same goes for you; if anyone wants to capture or use you for study, they might think twice when they realize you are with the guild. It isn't guaranteed protection, but it is a deterrent."
“So, you could walk around in your true form then? And no one would touch you?” Sam was curious.
“I could but won’t. I wouldn’t want that kind of attention,” Nara said. “But I could do it inside the guild hall without anyone even batting an eye.”
"Okay, I'm in. Let's do this," Sam said. Her mind was made up. It sounded like an intelligent move to her.
Nara clapped her hands and gave Sam a quick hug. She stepped back and said, "When we apply and tell our story to one of the clerks, a lie-detecting device will be active. If you do not wish them to know something they are asking for, say you do not wish to answer. If they deem the question unimportant, they will respect your wish."
Sam thought about that as they walked toward the gate, "The truth is the easiest thing to remember, and if I don't have to hide Nara's true nature, then I guess it will be alright. I'll have to play it by ear on how much information I want to divulge in the interview."
***
The guild guards were just as professional in their actions as in their dress. Within a few minutes, Sam and Nara were escorted through the courtyard toward the massive hall. The two women, bloody from battle and dirty from the road, must have looked quite the site, but no one in the training yard gave them a second glance. Apparently, coming back from missions looking like you had been murdered at least twice during your travels was a common sight here.
When the guard escorting them pulled the heavy metal doors to the hall open, revealing the interior, Sam turned and hugged Nara. She now knew why the woman had insisted they come straight here. Standing after the guard, Sam took a deep breath as she surveyed the room. The smell of beer and roasted meat filled her nostrils, and she couldn't help the wide grin plastered on her face. The entire hall was one massive tavern with hundreds of tables surrounding a substantial double-sided fireplace with the carcass of an unidentifiable animal slow roasting over it. A large circular bar was situated in the center of the building with more fireplaces along the walls, each surrounded by comfortable-looking lounges, many of them occupied by adventurers sipping drinks and socializing.
“I am so sorry I ever doubted you,” Sam said to Nara as their escort led them to one of the many small rooms lining one side of the building. Some of the rooms had closed doors with a red light over them. The room they were led to had a yellow light over the open door.
"Your evaluator will be with you shortly," the guild guard who escorted them professionally stated as she led them into the room, "your evaluation is free, but the job completion you mentioned will not be." She turned on her heels and closed the door behind her.
“Now what?” Sam asked when the guard left.
"Now we wait and hope. This could be a turning point in both of our fates, Sam," Nara's voice was a mixture of hope and dread. She repeated herself with resolve, "now we wait."