In the guild master’s office there was a heavy silence in the air as the owner of the office looked down on a single sheet of paper. It was like you might have guessed the sheet of paper the guild master had gotten from the Gold ranked Mirror of Self. It held a very abridged and incomplete version of my status window. Unable to take the heavy silence, I decided to speak up.
“Um, do you want me to tell you my skills?” I asked nervously.
“No.” The guild master answered sternly. He then looked up at me in the eyes and tossed the paper on the small table in front of us. “As I stated before, special skills are personal. It is not something the guild requires our members to share.” I then sighed and glanced at the paper. “Besides, what has been shared is staggering enough.” He leaned back and closed his eyes, muttering under his breath. “The fact that you have Storage and Dimensional magic is bad enough.” He rubbed his temples and suddenly looked much older than he had moments ago. “My brother really did a number on me this time…” There was another deep sigh.
“Um, what do you mean?” I asked uncertainty.
“It’s nothing.” He waved his hand lazily. “I just made a promise that I will have to bend over backwards to keep.” He glared at me with a half-smile on his lips. “Well nothing to do about it now. I will give you a gold guild badge with a mage’s tome on it.”
“Isn't gold a rather high ranking?” I asked, now very nervous.
“It is indeed.” He answered flatly. “It is the highest rank I can promote to in this branch.” He sighed for the untempt time and scratched his head roughly. “This will probably raise some eyebrows but rules are rules…” He shook his head and pulled out a thick parchment from a drawer. “This will be your contract, read it through thoroughly.” He wrote a few things on the paper and rang the bell from before as he handed the paper over to me.
The paper had a bunch of clauses that pertained to how one was allowed to act while under the employ of the guild. It also stated the responsibilities and expectations of the guild. To summarise it was similar to an employee contract back on earth. The major difference was that while the Guild stated that it would try to train and protect its members. However, the Guild is not responsible for the wellbeing or lives of its members. “Basically if you die on a job the Guild is not responsible.”
This contract included the entry to the Mage guild and a signing bonus that was half eaten up by the Mage guild fee that cost fifty gold.
“Why is there such a heavy fee to join the Mage guild?” I asked wide eyed. “I thought that you’d like to have more mages?” The guild master wore a conflicted expression as he mulled over what to say.
“Well it is true that we want more mages. However, considering the cost of things provided to its members by the Mage guild this amount of money is but a tithe. As a member of the guild you have access to lodging, food and the library in any guild with a mage tower.” The guild master then chortled. “Besides, most mages make that money back in less than a year and for those who lack funds the guild will simply loan them the money for free for a year.”
“That’s nice I guess.” I found this rather surprising but considering that all members would be generating money for the guild in the end it was probably an obvious solution.
“It is, but since you are receiving a 100 gold bonus for joining as a Gold member you don’t have to think about that. Now let’s get on to the oath, I am suddenly pressed for time.” He added the last part with a meaningful look my way.
After swearing the oath which basically amounted to swearing to uphold the contract, the guild master sent me out of his office. Outside I found the same receptionist from before.
“This way sir.” He turned around as soon as he finished speaking and walked off expecting me to keep up, so I did. I had a few questions I wanted to ask but the man was practically dressed in a cloak of ‘don’t talk to me’ so I held my tongue.
We reached the elevator and in a few moments we were back to the ground floor and we walked out into… “What the fuck?” I looked around and saw that we were in fact not in the same hallway as before. It was similar but the offices here were all larger and on my left there was a large cafeteria with several guild receptionists seated and eating. “I guess that might be a uniform for all the guild staff.” All of the people wore variations of the same base outfit.
“Wait here.” The man said and entered a large office. So I just stood there and looked around. “Here.” The man handed me a shield shaped badge with the insignia of a book embossed on the golden surface.
“Is this my guild badge?” I asked as I turned it over.
“Yes.” The man answered shortly and started walking again. “The badge of the Guild is a shield, the tome symbolises the Mage guild, the sword symbolises the Mercenary guild and the spyglass symbolises the Explorers guild.” The man explained as he pointed at a symbol on the wall.
The base was a shield with a book embossed on it, in front of the book was a crossed sword and spyglass. As I took in the image, I saw that it was present all over the building and when we unexplainably arrived in the foyer of the Guild from the opposite hallway from before I saw the symbol imprinted on the tile floor.
“How did I miss that when I entered the building?” The massive symbol was at least 4 meters high and 2 wide. It took up about a tenth of the free floor space of the foyer. “More importantly, how the hell does that elevator work?” I looked back at the two hallways and wondered how the same elevator could reach the opposite sides of the same building. “I didn’t even sense any sideways shift.” I shook my head and my guide suddenly spoke as he led me towards the side of the building that led to the Explores hall.
“You should always have your Guild badge visible on your person when within city walls or when on a job.”
I saw no pin on the badge when I had inspected it before. “Maybe it just magically clips on? Oh it did!” The badge had snapped onto my left shoulder as I pressed it on my shirt.
The man stopped as we entered a room that was straight out of a fantasy novel.
Before me was a large room with a bar/restaurant with two sets of stairs, one going up to a balcony with more tables and people. The other staircase bent around a crowded desk with four very attractive receptionists in what could only be maid uniforms. Behind them looked to be an office and on the far wall was countless sheets of paper with what I assumed were various jobs. There were people everywhere, but it was not overly crowded. Some ate and drank, others looked at the ‘job wall’ , others talked to the receptionists or waited for their turn to do so.
Unlike what you might imagine the people paid no attention to us as we entered and simply continued with their merriment or business. At least until my guide called out.
“Gilana, your assignment is here!” He shouted and almost all the eyes in the large room turned to him. Then they turned to me and back my guide, only for them to do a double take and stare wide-eyed at my golden badge.
Now with everyone facing me I saw that almost everyone here wore a bronze or copper badge, most without symbols on them. There were a handful of spyglasses on some of the more experienced looking folk and some swords on the rougher looking fellows. But no books and no gold or even silver. Before things could get any more awkward something landed in front of me.
“I was told that I’d be escorting some newbie.” The woman who had somehow jumped from the balcony rose from her crouched position and spoke in a salutary voice and… “Is she pouting?” She was, the woman who was almost as tall as me and built like a bodybuilder that could jump over fifteen meters in a single leap was pouting. Her vibrant green eyes were locked on to my badge for a few moments before she turned to my guide, completely ignoring me.
“You have your job, go talk to Persila and get your people ready Gilana.” My guide said and strode off.
Gilana looked at me. Her hair was the colour of fire and her tanned skin was crisscrossed with scars from both blade and beast alike. Dressed in tight and revealing leather armour she had an almost hungry look in her eyes as she observed me.
“Gil, what are you standing around for? Persila is waiting for us.” Shouted a lithe woman from the balcony.
Gilana and I turned to look at the woman who wore dark clothes that covered everything but her face and neck. Around said neck was a sliver collar she was unconsciously fiddling with. Her dark green hair failed to cover her tapered ears. ”An elf!” My inner child exclaimed at the sight.
“Tsk.” Gilana clicked her tongue. “Why do I have to go see that old hag...” She muttered under her breath. It was still loud enough that I could hear it, however. “Well come on then sir gold.” She gave me a mocking bow and walked off towards the first set of stairs. I just followed after her, trying hard not to pay any attention to the stares and whispers around me.
When we reached the balcony the elf walked over with a very short man who was fully encased in armour. When they reached us, the elf tried to hand over a sword still in the scabbard but Gilana pulled her in close and kissed the elf on the neck. The elf for her part got an annoyed look on her face and turned her head away. I just stopped in my tracks not knowing how I should react to this.
“Don’t mind them lad.” The short man said in a deep baritone. “They are like that all the time.” The short man spoke like the nobles from the castle and I wondered if that was just an affectation.
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“Would you mind stopping?” The elf said and her clear voice made her annoyance very clear. Looking over at her I notice that she was rather stunning.
“Just marking my territory sweetie.” Gilana said with a giggle and sent a sharp look my way. Then she took the sword she had been proffered before. It was a rather large bastard sword clearly focusing on function over form. What caught my eye however, was the silver guild badge with a sword and spyglass that was attached to the clasp. I noted that the other two, who were pointedly looking away (and one of them was even blushing) , wore matching badges.
“GILANA! GET YOUR OVERSIZED ARSE OVER HERE!!!” Boomed a voice that smashed the awkward silence like a wrecking ball. Gilana flinched and growled at the back of the balcony that had an additional set of stairs.
“Let’s go.” The elf said and walked off, her green hair swishing behind her.
“That’s MY woman.” Gilana growled and snorted before she stormed after the elf. “I must have stared.”
“Don’t mind her boy.” The short man said with a laugh. “She is just feeling insecure around you since you’re a gold ranker.” The man then reached up with his hand. “I am Franz Goldbandt, you are a mighty tall fellow.”
“Victor Lynth, it’s a pleasure.” I shook his hand.
“Oh, my are you perhaps…” Franz was interrupted.
“Are you coming old man?” Gilana shouted at the two of us. The short man rolled his eyes in his helmet and gestured for me to follow.
“Are you perhaps a noble as well?” He asked the question he had just tried to ask as we walked at a rather sedate pace.
“No, what made you think that?” I asked, tilting my head as I tried to figure out why Franz had come to that conclusion.
“Well you have a family name. Also the way you talk is far cleaner then what I’d expect from any commoner.”
“Is the way I talk strange?” I asked, trying to really hear what I sounded like.
“Not strange per say… but you don’t have any noticeable accent. Nor do you slur the words like so many do.” I and Franz kept talking as we walked up the stairs before he mentioned something that had been bothering him.
“I must say I was surprised when you barely flinched as Gilana jumped down to you.” He looked up at me curiously. At least that's the emotion I got from him, it was hard to tell with his face covered by the faceplate and all.
“I mean, it’s not like she was going to attack me.” I shrugged and looked at the colourless aura that surrounded Gilana and the elf. Gilana kept glancing back at me and Franz but when she saw that I noticed she looked away.
“That’s a brave and rather foolish assumption.” Franz laughed heartily. “She has slapped around more than one rookie in her time, all in the name of ‘education’ of course.”
“Is that slander I hear?” Gilana growled and slowed her pace to glare at Franz.
“How can it be slander when it is true?” The elf’s cool voice retorted without looking back.
“W-what? You too sweetie?” Gilana yelped and ran up to cling to the elf.
Even from where me and Franz were I could clearly hear a tired sigh escape the elf’s mouth but she did not slow her pace and soon I was beginning to wonder how far we would go. I got my answer a few moments later as we stepped off the stairs onto a landing that was made in an entirely different style. I followed the Elf and the clingy Gilana toward what must have been the front of the building.
We stopped in front of a set of truly ancient looking double doors and Gilana reluctantly untangled herself from the elf and straightened her back. She was in the middle of taking a deep breath when the elf opened the door and stepped in making Gilana yelp and hurry after.
Stepping in with Franz I saw a cluttered office with uneven and slightly miscoloured windows. At the far end of the room was a curved desk and on an enormous stuffed leather chair sat an old and small looking woman reading through documents at a staggering pace. No one spoke until the woman raised her bespectacled and wrinkled face towards us.
“Took you long enough child.” She stared at Gilana with a look that could drill holes in solid iron.
“I-I…” Gilana stammered.
“Speak or just hold your tongue girly!” The old woman spoke sharply and turned her eyes from Gilana to me. I could hear Gilana grind her teeth and felt a bit of cold sweat on my back. Then it felt like something washed over me and I was reminded of what I had felt from the Mirror of self.
“I thought that casting Identification spells without asking is rather rude.” This was something the guild master had mentioned as I read the Guild contact. What happened next surprised me. The old woman broke out in a smile, her grey blue eyes glimmering and her aura shifted towards the green.
“Would ya look at that.” She laughed and glanced over at a stunned Gilana. “A fresh little fishy is braver than a silver veteran!” She cackled merrily.
“That is just because the ‘fishy’ is unaware of how scary the Demon Ripper can be.” It was surprisingly the elf who responded to the taunt and defended Gilana.
“Ya think so?” The old woman smiled widely and there was something dangerous about that smile. “Certainly doesn’t look like he is very afraid of me.”
“I am confused.” I looked around at the people that were observing me. “I understand that you are all probably significantly more powerful than I, but it is not like you have any reason to hurt me. So I don't understand why I should be scared… it’s not like you mean me any harm right?” The three I had entered with looked at me flabbergasted, even the elf who’s name I had jet to learn looked mighty surprised.
“Haha!” The old woman cackled. “So you have Danger sense or a similar skill?” It felt more like a statement than a question so I just nodded. “How boring.” She said that but she was wearing a pleased smile. “Well, come have a seat.” She gestured to the five armchairs that were placed in front of her desk.
I did as I was asked and only when I had weaved halfway through the clutter did I notice that the other three had yet to move. Instead they were looking between the empty chairs and the old lady. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do so I carefully made my way over and sat down on the rightmost chair. It was very comfortable, far better than the bed at the inn.
“Now, my name is Persila, and I am the head of the Elianor Explorers guild.”
“Victor Lynth, it is an honor to meet you.” I responded and bowed my head.
“My, how courteous.” She smiled and glanced over at the other three that had yet to move. “Completely unlike my other unruly children.” This pointed comment finally made the others move. Once they were seated Persila continued. “Now sir Victor, the original plan was for this band of misfits to escort you to one of our neighbouring cities. However the old fart informed me that you have elected to join the guild.” She eyed my badge amused. “Not only that but you are also the first mage to join the guild in quite some time and at gold rank at that.” I grimaced as she called me a mage and she raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“Not sure how much of a mage I am.” I answered honestly. “I don’t know a single spell and…” She cut me off.
“Nonsense! Having the Storage skill at your age is nothing except extraordinary.” She stated firmly and the other looked at me weirdly. “This is also why I can give you a job that would otherwise force the Guild to send a whole company of Mercenaries.” She smiled and the other suddenly sat up straighter. “A client has requested that we bring…” She leaned down and retrieved a sealed metal box about the size of a milk carton, she put it on the desk and tapped the lid. “The ambassador of the Kulagan Kingdom has asked us to bring this box to the guild hall in Umpari secretly and safely.”
Me and the other three were observing the box with interest. It was smooth and locked with three small lockpads and had what I can only guess was some form of spell inscribed on the top. It was a rather curious item.
“Lady Persila, I do not want to overstep…” Franz spoke in a sombre voice and all eyes turned to him. “But are there not a lot of tensions between the Kingdom of Gal’an and Kulagan right now?” Franz seemed a bit hesitant.
“Why yes.” Persila for her part was not bothered in the least.
“Is it not possible that what is in that box might displease Gal’an?” The elf whose name I still hadn’t learned said stiffly.
“Of course there is a chance for that.” Persila said with a shrug and only when she saw the stiff expression on the others’ face did she sigh. (I was completely lost as you might have imagined.) “But that is very unlikely. From the investigation we did it seems that this is a present for the ambassador’s secret mistress in Umpari. If it was some form of state secret they’d likely use their own spies to deliver it.” Persila shrugged again.
“Looks to be a bit overkill for a present don’t you think?” Franz said, eyeing the triple lock and the rune suspiciously. “And how come it is being sent from here? The ambassador is in the capital, no?”
“If you knew the presumed contents you would be more interested in why a mistress is getting such an expensive gift.” Persila chuckled. “Anyway, the Guild has done its investigation, been paid and has accepted the request.” She eyed the group as she said this and made it clear there would be no further discussion. “Now you have your tasks. Victor, put this” She handed over the box to me. “into your storage and get to know your team better.” I could see Gilana stiffen and pout slightly at the last part. “Now, Gilana dear.” Persila’s voice was at the same time kind and firm. “Make preparations for the extended trip by the end of the day, you are leaving at first light. Now come here.” She said and stood.
“Yes grandmother…” Gilana said with an exhausted sigh as I left with Franz and the elf. As I left the room I looked back and saw the much shorter woman embrace Gilana ruffling her hair before the door closed.
Standing outside the office I looked at the other two. Franz gave me a wave and started for the stairs. The elf just leaned against the door for a moment. Our eyes met and I could see her eyes shift in the colours of a forest canopy. It only lasted for a moment as the elf closed her eyes and rested against the wall as if I wasn’t there at all.
“Um… I’m Victor Lynth, may I ask your name?”
Nothing. She did not even open her eyes and I just stood there for a moment until the door opened and Gilana fled out of the room. A mug with some mysterious substance in it came flying after her, it passed inches from her head and tumbled away into the hallway.
“LET’S GO!” Gilana yelled and dragged my stunned self with her as Persila yelled after us.
“YOU BETTER RUN GIRL NEXT TIME I GET MY HANDS ON YOU I WILL MAKE SURE YOU WON’T BE SITTING FOR A WEEK!” Persila’s voice thundered and Gilana yelped as she dragged me along like some kind of handbag.
Gilana bounded down the stairs effortlessly even while carrying me and it felt like she was descending almost a full flight of stairs with every powerful pump of her legs. I for my part had a shocking amount of time to think as I basically floated in the air behind Gilana. When I saw the elf striding even more effortlessly next to us I came to a single conclusion. “This world is wack.”
The headless flight from Persila, the head of the Explorers guild, ended only when we were a street down from the Guild hall and ‘hidden’ in the mouth of an alleyway. At this point I was finally let go and I stumbled to the wall and had to rest my hand against it not to fall over. I glared at Gilana but she didn’t notice.
“I can’t understand your fascination with trying to pull one over Persila every time you see her.” Franz said from behind us and my entire body went rigid. I am proud to say that not even a little bit of pee escaped me. But it was a close thing indeed. Gilana and the elf for their part didn’t even as much as flinch.
“If I don’t do it, who will?” Gilana said with a childish smile.
“She did seem rather upset this time.” The elf stated flatly.
“Naa, she was just exaggerating because of the new guy.” Gilana said this but was still peering around the building and a beat late she added. “Probably…” Then she shuddered a bit.
We just stood there in the alley for a bit, Gilana peering out into the street looking for pursuers, Franz was sharpening an axe and the elf was toying with a knife that had appeared out of nowhere.
What was I doing? Well I was trying my best to not puke. You see, being dragged through the air with enough force that my feet never even touched the ground was a significantly worse experience than any rollercoaster I had ever ridden.
“Looks clear.” Gilana said and released a content sigh. She straightened and turned to look at the rest of us and when she noticed my pale visage she frowned. “What’s up with him?” She asked the others who just shrugged. I simply glared at her. “What an auspicious start to my guild activities.”