In a marginally interesting forest, a young male adventurer sat hidden behind a bush while stalking a monster. The creature in question was a Rolloch, a lizard the size of a mastiff with thorny protrusions along its head, back and tail. When threatened the Rolloch would curl into a ball putting its thorns on full display as it rolled around at considerable speed. It wasn’t the deadliest monster, but its hit-and-run tactics could slowly chip away at a prey’s stamina leaving them in no position to defend themselves, death by a thousand rolls as it were. This particular Rolloch was also suffering, or more accurately benefiting, from a curse that caused the thorns on its back to become paralytic. Even a light scratch would be enough to sign the death certificate for any bystander or unprepared adventurer. The request to kill this monster had been submitted by a local farmer who discovered the creature chomping away at one of his sheep while it was still alive and screaming in pain. The farmer managed to scare the lizard off but knew he couldn’t kill it outright thus offered up his small life savings to have the beast dealt with.
The hunt began in the early morning, the contracted adventurer following the monsters bloody trail leading from the farmer’s home. He knew if it didn’t find another food source soon it would most likely return to the farm and wouldn’t stop at just sheep this time. He located the Rolloch resting next to a stream, blood still clinging to its yellow and black scales with a goofy content grin plastered upon its smug face. While its exterior was hazardous, the underbelly was significantly weaker and easily punctured, at least according to the ‘Adventurers Guide for Monsters Aggressive and Benign’. The book in question was part of a comprehensive compendium for the numerous monsters recorded throughout history and contained many diagrams and descriptions for how best to deal with the accursed beasts. Strangely, a brief description of the numerous entries would occasionally pop into a certain huntress’s head despite the fact no two books gave the same details for all monsters. Just another quirk of Aspects no could explain as of yet.
This adventurer didn’t need to worry about such age-old questions as he gripped his blade and crept slowly upon the monster careful not to make a sound. He just needs to get a little closer while it was distracted then a quick jab to the neck and bam contract complete, money in his pocket and drinks at the nearest bar. Despite not making a sound, the Rolloch sensed something nearby and lifted its head to look around. For a brief second the adventurer and the monster met eyes though one was unaware of the other thanks to a dense bush. The Rolloch rose up and slowly crept towards the adventurer’s position, not on high alert just curious like a cat.
This was perfect, thought the adventurer, it was even closer and still had no idea death was inches away. Just as he was about to thrust forward, the beast was suddenly hoisted into the air by black chains descended from the above to loop under each leg. As it rose, the Rolloch attempted a brief fruitless struggle but couldn’t untangle itself nor do anything when a muscular girl wielding a knife leapt out from the bush opposite the adventurer. She crouched into a slide while pointing her dagger up. With perfect timing, the beast was let go and fell onto the knife as the girl continued to slide gutting the monster from neck to tail in one swift motion. In a matter of seconds, the monster went from leisurely digesting its last meal to being disembowelled without a chance to react. Its killer stood to her full height and flicked the blood from her blade inadvertently splattering the still hiding dumbstruck adventure in the face. Falling back from the unexpected attack, he quickly jumped up and berated the girl.
“H-HEY! You can’t do that! You can’t just steal another guys kill like that!”
Valerie stared bemused at the unexpected third party, his rookie adventurers’ badge predominantly featured on his belt. Her face twisted with annoyance at the accusation, and she shrugged her shoulders.
“Not my problem. Be better.”
She declared while turning her back on the slow adventurer who got so worked up at the disrespect he almost committed the number one faux pas in the guild; don’t fight with other members. Chasing after Valerie, he grabbed at her should intending to give her a piece of his mind. What he got instead was a good look at her fist which he narrowly dodged. The impressive display of dexterity was by no means of his own making however as his feet fell out from under him. The adventurer collided with the ground and felt all the air leave his lungs. Looking up from his prone position he saw a hooded figure standing next to the kill thief, a terrifyingly black chain disappearing under her cloak. His indignation blunt all other emotions including the uneasy feeling growing at the back of his mind.
“You can’t do this! It’s against guild policy!”
Valerie scoffed and turned away once again with Samantha following behind her, leaving the man to stew in his own filth.
“This isn’t over, what’s your name?!”
Stopping abruptly, Valerie twisted round to show a wicked and toothy smile.
“I’m Valerie Hunt, don’t forget it.”
Unfortunately, he did not.
“I’VE BEEN WHAT!?”
Valerie demanded, her angry outburst almost shaking the guild door of its hinges. Margaretta was unfazed as she continued to file at her nails and reiterated the problem.
“You’ve been reported for guild harassment. It happens, get over it. We will perform an investigation and determine the truly at fault parties. Until that time neither you nor Miss Trapper may accept a new contract or receive payment for any to be completed contracts. Please trust the guild will blah blah blah.”
The receptionist recited the standard guild policy, her boredom plain and evident. The “victim” of this injustice slammed her hands against the temporary table almost causing it to buckle.
“Bollocks! I didn’t do anything!”
A statement that was undoubtedly a stretch. The monster Samantha and Valerie were contracted to kill hadn’t been the Rolloch itself, but it was in their way, and they decided to get rid of it anyway. It was not the first time they inadvertently killed the target of other adventurer’s quests just the first time they were caught. Up until now the formally contracted adventurers simply shrugged at the mysteriously dead monster and accepted an easy pay out. Unfortunately, there was always some who cared more about the accolades and their own ego than actual results. Although these picky few would learn better eventually as reporting someone else killed their mark voided the contract and meant the guild was forced to return any bounty fee to the requestor. Margaretta did not explain any of this, she was more than tired of giving out the same details year after year that was plainly written in the agreement all adventurers signed upon joining. Glancing up at the furious teenager, her expression was unreadable.
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“Miss Hunt, I am going to ask you to kindly refrain from damaging guild property. If you do not stop, we will be forced to escalate matters possibly including re-evaluating your membership AND that of your cohort. We would also be looking at possible reparations for all parties unduly affect including the guild itself. Are. We. Clear?”
The receptionist’s voice turned ice cold and irreproachable. Valerie stared daggers at the much older woman before slowly stepping back, taking a breath and trying to calm down.
“How long will this take?”
She enquired carefully watching her words and tone to the best of her abilities. Margaretta filed at another nail, blew on it and then answered curtly.
“Three to five working days, maybe a week.”
“A WEE-“
Calm down Valerie, calm down.
“Very well, thank you Margaretta.”
The huntress spoke through gritted teeth trying to maintain an air of politeness and hopelessly failing. Turning to walk out the door, Valerie was stopped by the receptionist’s last jab.
“Treat it like a vacation, divine knows you’re taking enough work as is. Oh and be sure to tell Bubba I’ll be visiting the springs sometime this week. I’m sure the waters will be boiling hot with you there.”
Valerie bit back a retort and left without another word. Samantha, waiting outside, caught the tail end of her friend as she stomped out of the guild. Chasing after her, the shadow user was given the full story albeit retold in a colourfully scathing manner.
“So, what do we do for a week?”
She asked hoping her friend had an answer.
“The same thing we do every day, we go out and we hunt.”
Valerie answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Just because they couldn’t earn any money for it didn’t mean they couldn’t still do a bit of intense monster hunting. Samantha would have normally agreed but found she had developed a certain taste for the finer things in life.
“But I like money, you can get nice things with it.”
Eating every night at Joanne’s restaurant, using the legitimate cleaning services of Mrs Bubba’s laundromat and paying a reasonable rent to Albert ate up a large chunk of the pair’s funds. Buying a new set of clothes for Valerie as well as minor but still costly repairs to her armour consumed the last of it. The huntress tried to offer her friend the opportunity to purchase a new cloak, but Samantha rejected the idea. While significantly charred and pocked with holes, her cloak was still very important to her, and she refuse to give it up.
Their last job should have given them a decent nest egg especially when the danger rating went up due to the presence of a spectre. Unfortunately, almost all of those funds were returned to Richmond who healed Valerie’s deep and numerous wounds at an absurd premium. They were basically working contract to contract until they were deemed skilled enough by a panel of officials to move up the ranks. The next congregation of guild leaders wasn’t for another month and the duo were late to registering for a promotion just barely submitting their hastily written paperwork in time. With the advancement they would become recognized figures within the guild, holding greater sway and influence. Well really, they just wanted to take on harder and more lucrative jobs, all that ceremony nonsense wasn’t for this pair of monster killers. Valerie huffed dejectedly and stopped in the middle of the road. Samantha’s eery aura coming in handy to prevent either from being run into while they hashed things out in the street.
“I don’t know Samantha. This is my fault, and I… don’t know what to do about it.”
“We could always ask someone for some help?”
Samantha reasoned even if she knew there was no way her friend would accept another hand-out. If push came to shove, they could always spend their time working in Joanne’s kitchen or helping out at the laundromat. Not that either particularly wanted to, killing monsters and sometimes being covered in their foul-smelling guts was a much better gig than working in a service industry from the bottom rung. Albert was also a no go, his library was given the bare minimum grants from the ruling government to stay afloat, everything else was either through generous donations or the girls recent rent contributions.
The two broke girls walked the streets while trying to discuss their options with little in the way of plans for the future. Sitting on a park bench, Valerie tried to go over their options one more time while Samantha meditated to ease on her aspect’s drawbacks. The two sat in silence for some time until being approached by a sleaze of a man.
“Hey, hey, you doing alright? Couple of sad chickadoos like you two shouldn’t be wearing a frown. Is there anything I can get you to help “perk” up your day?”
The walking waste of space accentuated his offer with an eyebrow wiggle behind shaded glasses. He wore a long brown raincoat that looked out of place in the summer heat and could have been a long-lost cousin to Samantha’s even worse cloak. He had thinning brunette hair he combed over to mask the loss and a scraggly beard that looked on the verge of ending itself if only to save everyone the embarrassment. It wasn’t the first time the two had been accosted by a drug peddler while trying to relax, they seemed fixated on interrupting people trying to enjoy a nice summer day at the park. Although neither would partake in his offer, his arrival did spark something in Valerie causing her to shoot up.
“I’ve got an idea!”
Her outburst surprised the drug dealer who quickly made himself scarce when Samantha dropped her concentration. One dash through the districts later and the two were descending down a hidden staircase to Mrs Bubba’s hot spring. There they found Joanne relaxing in a towel next to her fully clothed co-owner, the former clearly having just finished soaking away her worries. The beast woman raised an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of Samantha and Valerie, she expected them to be out on a job by now.
“Girls? What are you-“
She was cut off by the panting voice of Valerie.
“Do… you… Do you know any crime lords who could hire us?”
The dwarf and beast woman’s mouths dropped open as they demanded answers, worried for the purity of their charges. Receiving the full story Joanne and Mrs Bubba calmed down, the latter taking some pleasure in the burgeoning maternal instincts in her beastly friend. Joanne however rubbed at her temples; this was a conversation she did not expected nor wanted to have with the pair this soon into their career. She was an adventurer for most of her life and knew it was not all glitz and glamour not to mention the occasional accusation from jealous ex-teammates or people who just had a grudge. The point of the Adventurers Guild was, simply put; to slay monsters and protect people yet a depressingly large number of members saw their colleagues as competitors and rivals. They were supposed to build each other up but more often they just tore one another down and they all suffered as a result. She quit for a number of reasons, the politics definitely being one of them, and now her latest admirers were caught up in it.
“Alright, I know someone.”
She announced in a more serious tone than anyone was used to. When the world punished you for trying to do good there was only one other thing to do, and she would be a hypocrite to try and talk the pair out of going down that route.
“Please tell me you aren’t talking about Harry?”
Mrs Bubba enquired familiar with a number of Joanne’s less reputable friends and colleagues. The beast woman scoffed, clearly offended at the question.
“Harry’s gone and he aint coming back. Listen you two, if you ever meet someone named ‘Harry the Hammer’ run, don’t talk, don’t ask questions and DO NOT fight him. You feel me?”
The duo nodded sombrely; they would make all efforts to avoid Harry the Hammer who certainly wouldn’t become a plot centric character later in the two’s journey. Lightening up, Joanne continued.
“Good, alright I’ll need a few days then I can introduce to a guy I know. Well, I don’t know HIM, I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who works for a guy who knows this other guy and… you get the idea.”
Valerie and Samantha tried to ask for more details, but the beast woman simply brushed off the questions before quickly getting dressed and leaving. Mrs Bubba sat idly by knowing whatever hijinks her granddaughters would get up to they would be alright so long as they had each other.
“You two are going to make adorable little criminals.”
She cooed while taking a sip of her tea and enjoying the plainly embarrassed expressions both wore.