Chapter 55- Old Friends and Older Enemies

They tried to make small talk as they walked to their guilds, but Brent could not help himself from sizing Hackney up. Hackney was a good head shorter than he, but also nearly twice as wide. Unlike Alex, there was not of bit of fat on his frame, and the young man was man entirely made of muscle, despite his homely looks. Just like Brent, he carried his sword on his hip, and occasionally Brent caught him glancing his way likely to do the same. Never on the island had the pair crossed training swords, but both had seen the other fight countless times. It would be an interesting match the next day, that was for sure.

“And then there was the time we found a werewolf,” Daniel was saying. He seemed to prefer doing the talking for both he and Hackney, which wasn’t so different when it came to Alex and Claire for Brent. “Had no idea they existed. We fought off what we thought was a wolf all night, only the find the next day some man naked and afraid in the woods.”

“Sounds terrifying,” said Brent. They were walking the same direction and he wondered when the two would leave to go to whatever inn their guild was at. “Say, what is the name of your guild? You two didn’t mention it.”

“Ah, well, we settled on the Young Valorous. Or just ‘Young Valorous’, without the ‘the’.”

“Not bad,” said Brent. “We call ourselves the Seven Banes.”

“I like it,” said Daniel. “Seven of you, so each of you are a bane, then?”

“Yeah, I guess,” nodded Brent. He hadn’t given it much thought. “Alex came up with it, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” grunted Alex from behind Brent. “Sounded good, I think.”

“I agree,” said Claire.

“It’s all about the name,” said Daniel, sighing contentedly. “A good guild name will strike fear into others, and also be a calling card for those who have never heard of you before. I wonder how Solomon and them came up with the Old Guard name. Now there is a great name, eh?”

I’ll have to ask Chase that one later, thought Brent.

They came to the Inn Chase had told them about. It was on the Main Street of Birchtown and appeared old yet established. The swinging sign on the front read “THE ROYAL”. NPCs and players passed them on the street, and everywhere was the hustle and bustle of daily life. Occasionally Brent thought he saw an NPC or two glance their way and whisper to their friends.

“Well, this is us,” said Brent, “Guess we will see you two tomorrow.”

Daniel laughed and slapped Brent on the shoulder.

“So ready to get rid of the us? This is our Inn, too. Come on.”

Daniel held the door open and they all filed inside. Within was just as noisy as on the street. Players, likely there for the contract tournament, were everywhere. They drank beer and told stories, and not a single one gave them a second look.

“Brent,” said Chase on the far side of the room. “Over here! Look who I’ve found!”

As he expected, Chase was sitting with Meredith, leader of the Young Valorous and their mage, Clark. Amelie and Thomas were sipping drinks alongside them at a table in the corner.

“Let’s have a drink,” Said Daniel. “Don’t worry, just one. I’m sure Hackney wants to fight you at your best, not super hungover because you can’t hold your beer.”

“Can’t hold my—.”

“He’s joking, Brent,” said Alex. “Come on, let’s take a seat with Chase.”

The four of them left Daniel to order at the bar, and soon found themselves sitting with the others. Meredith was just as he remembered: red haired just like Astor but with a more human look to her. Whereas Astor had the eyes of a psychopath Meredith’s were brimming with mirth. Clark, the mage of the Young Valorous, appeared exhausted and only capable of listening and sipping his drink while the others talked. He peered out his glasses at them as they took a seat.

“Long time no see, Brent and Claire,” said Meredith. Her face was slightly red and Brent wondered how many she and Chase had had. “Ready to get revenge for your performance at the Triple Fives?”

“I think you’ll find us more than a match,” retorted Brent. “We’ve been training non stop for months.”

“Same for us,” said Meredith. “Well then, any good contenders? We’ve seen a few today come to the inn.”

“Brent and I fight tomorrow,” said Daniel. He opened up his palm to reveal the strip of paper he had drawn earlier. “Both drew a seven.”

“Excellent,” said Chase with a smile. “Looks like our bet will be decided on the morrow, fair Meredith.”

The leader of the Young Valorous laughed.

“Such a charmer! I hope you don’t mind Hackney, but we both decided to make a wager on the first of our members to fight one another.”

“I see,” said Hackney, his face growing solemn.

“Cheer up, friend,” said Thomas, a mischievous grin on his face. “I am sure you’ll last at least a minute.”

“Funny,” said Daniel sarcastically. “Too bad there isn’t a Hunter’s tournament. I would like to see you two shoot again.”

“So would I,” said Meredith, some tension coming into her voice. “I still don’t understand how Chase managed that shot of his during the triple fives.”

“Luck,” said Chase and Clark at the same time.

“I’m not so sure,” said Meredith. She took a long drink from her mug, emptying it, and then eyed the bottom. “I sure am glad I don’t have anything to do tomorrow. This is the first real drink I’ve had in weeks.”

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“Don’t drink too much,” said Hackney, just as Daniel came over and placed four beers on the table. “I’ll get jealous watching you all have fun while I’m needing to get ready for the match tomorrow.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” said Amelie gently.

“Amelie!” Said Claire in exasperation. “If he does well then Brent will lose.”

“I didn’t mean it that way,” said Amelie, sounding concerned. “I just meant…oh dear.”

“Forget it, Amelie,” said Thomas with a laugh. “She is just messing with you.”

Brent wasn’t sure that she was. He sipped his beer an enjoyed the cool feeling in his mouth. He didn’t really like the taste of beer, but it was a nice change from the water and Marlon’s concoctions. At a couple tables over was a girl around his age, if not a couple years older. She was dressed in warrior leathers, and kept glancing at him before turning red and quickly looking away.

What’s that all about, he wondered.

“One other thing,” Daniel was saying to the two guilds. “Astor Briggs was there. Brent nearly got done in by him.”

“Really?” Said Meredith, concern etching her features. “He’s out of prison already?”

“That’s what surprised us, too,” said Hackney. He stroked his bearded and Brent noticed he had barely touched his own beer. “But it was him alright. The guy sticks out like a sore thumb.”

“You nearly fought him, Brent?” Said Chase, raising an eyebrow.

“Sort of,” said Brent with a shrug. That girl was looking at him again and he frowned in her direction before she quickly turned her head away. “He was playing a flute really badly. Was annoying so I just told him what I was thinking.”

“Of course you did,” said Clark, shaking his head. His face was just as red and Meredith’s but he seemed less able to hold it together. He could barely string a sentence together without a long line of slurring and he hiccuped after speaking. “HIC.”

“Say,” said Meredith, looking around the inn. “Where is Marlon? Wasn’t he with you as well, Chase?”

“He decided to stay back at camp,” said Chase, waving down the barkeeper. “Wanted to work on his Herbalist class some more. Not so many flowers and stuff in a town like this.”

“Speaking of missing members,” said Clark, looking around. He hiccuped again. “Where is the newest member of our guild got off to?”

“He should be coming down soon,” said Meredith. “Ah, in fact, I see him on the stairs now.”

Brent looked toward the end of the room by the bar, and couldn’t believe who he saw coming hesitantly down the stairs. He looked no different than Brent remembered him, and was still the pudgy kid with the shifty eyes to him.

“I can’t believe it,” said Chase. “Thomas, don’t get upset.”

“Seb?” Said Thomas incredulously. “You let Seb into your guild? WHY?”

“Because,” said Meredith, scowling. “He needed a place to go after the island and we needed a thief. He’s not half bad, either.”

“And he’s a thief,” said Thomas, groaning. “Meredith why didn’t you consult me first. Seb is the worst.”

“Since when do I need an 8 year olds opinion on why gets into my guild? Barkeep! Another round of drinks.”

Brent wanted to laugh at Thomas’ expression, but at the same time remembered the last the he saw Seb. The dumpy boy had just beaten up Thomas in an unfair match, and Brent had preceded to punch his friend, Greg, so hard he had knocked out the older boy. Brent had never told anyone but the next day his hand hurt so bad he thought he had broken it and would need one of the advisors to heal it for him. He tried to but himself in Thomas’ shoes and thought to himself how he would feel seeing an enemy walk to their table and to be told he was a friend now. Or at least a friend of some friends and he had to act nice.

“Don’t worry Thomas,” said Brent under his breath. He held up the hand he had decked Greg with and made a fist. “If he tries anything he knows what’s coming.”

Thomas nodded, and his trepidation melted away. Suddenly he looked a bit smug, and as Seb sat awkwardly at the table, looking around at the old faces, Thomas even greeted him.

“Hello, Seb. Long time no see.”

“Hello, Thomas,” said Seb. He had sat at the far end of the table next to Meredith and as far away from Brent as he could. But as he sat it wasn’t Brent who he had trouble looking at, but Chase for some reason. As soon as he saw Chase he immediately turned white and looked away, not even touching his drink of ginger and spices that the innkeeper had just sat down.

“Are you Brent?” Said the Barkeep after he had taken up the empty mugs.

“Yeah,” said Brent.

“The lady over there,” he inclined his head behind him towards the blonde who had kept staring at him. She now was whispering with a companion of hers. “She paid for your drink. You must have impressed her or something.”

“Well done, Brent,” said Meredith with a big wink. She laughed as she cheered her mug with Chase’s. “I always knew you were a lady killer. Why don’t you go over there and say hello?”

“Might even get some intel,” said Chase. He burped. “She looks like a fighter. Claire might be fighting her. Go find out if she has a weakness.”

Brent felt himself grow irritated. He had seen Chase drunk only a couple times with Marlon in the past. It seemed every time he drank he always came up with the stupidest ideas.

“Why? I may end up killing one of her friends in the tournament tomorrow.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” said Hackney. He seemed to have still not touched his drink and suddenly Brent decided to stop drinking his altogether as well. “They have enchanted swords for us to use. They aren’t sharp, but can disable limbs and temporary blind you if the strike is true. People don’t usually die at these things.”

“That’s true,” said Chase, nodding his head knowingly. “Or so I’ve heard,” he added quickly, after Seb started looking at him strangely.

“Still,” said Brent, shrugging his shoulders. “Getting to know her just for some information isn’t my style. I wouldn’t be any good at it, anyway. I’d rather go over there and intimidate their guild and be done with it.”

“So manly,” said Meredith, rolling her eyes.

Brent felt his blood pressure rise, but decided to not respond. There were no less than three competitors sitting next to him at that very moment. It would be best to pretend the tournament had already begun. The only one he could really trust would be Claire, and he looked at her with a smile, thinking about all the times they had trained together in preparation for such a tournament. He was glad he wouldn’t have to fight her, and imagined how great it would be if they both won their divisions.

She was smiling at him, and it was the first smile she had made in days.

“Tell me, Banes,” said Clark. He looked around the table and lowered his voice. His drunken state seemed to have evaporated. “What have you heard about the Antagonista?”

The table grew quiet. Brent looked at Chase, who stared into his drink. After they had met the Antagonista—or, Xemnara, as apparently she had dubbed herself—Chase had told them everything that he could. He, Amelie, Claire, and Alex had been tricked into going into her own world where she tested them on various things. Apparently they had all passed as everyone lived but ever since that day Chase and the others who had gone all acted strangely. Brent knew there was more to the story but he and Thomas had agreed to give them all space until they had worked it out. Honestly, so long as everyone was fine he didn’t feel the need to get into their business about it. He had read all about the previous World Events from Esem’s past and decided that this one wouldn’t be much different than ones which had already occurred. Usually there was some great evil which rose and then threatened the land, or, in rare cases, some amazing world changing events which made everything better. Those were few and far between, as AION seemed to like toying with others more than helping them.

“What have you heard?” Said Amelie quietly.

“We heard,” said Clark. He took another sip of his drink. “We heard that she was seen on a road near here about a week back. She had a bunch of players enchanted to be animals or something but they escaped or something.”

“What is it, exactly?” Said Daniel.

“Something AION has dredged up,” said Meredith darkly. “Don’t ask me why. Seems like we got enough on our plates already without some silly event taking place just as we are all getting started.”

“I’m sure AION would not give us too much to handle,” began Amelie.

“Too much?” Meredith barked a laugh and nearly spilt her beer. “He already sent us to this place. This so called Esem. For what? For his amusement, that’s what. Whose to say that he isn’t the Antagonista? Just dressing up and playing pretend and scaring us humans for the kicks?”

The table was silent again, and Brent looked around to make sure no one was listening in on them. The blonde who had bought him his drink was gone, and her companions with her.

“Well,” said Chase. “The idea of AION dressing up as a woman is an amusing one.”

“I’m just saying,” said Meredith, and she glanced at Seb and then finished her drink. “Know what? I’m tired. Guild, good luck tomorrow. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Both guilds watched Meredith march up the stairs, her sudden departure surprised them all. Brent wasn’t sure what the time was, but he decided to stay with the others and join in the chat. Sometimes he eyed Hackney, and sometimes he caught his staring back, stealing glances at his opponent and sizing one another up. By the end of the night Brent felt no buzz whatsoever and the beer the young woman had bought him was still filled to the brim. Soon most of the others were gone, and only he and Chase remained. Seb had followed the other Young Valorous up the stairs and Claire and Amelie had bid them both goodnight.

“Are you ready?” Said Chase, staring across the bar. The crowd had thinned out and only a handful remained.

“Yes. I’m ready to show them what I can do.”

“Chase?”

“Yea?”

“What happened with Xemnara?”

Chase looked at him seriously, and then at the floor. He finished his drink and then roughly placed it back on the table.

“Let’s just say I’ve become convinced that Meredith—daft as she may be—may not be too far off from the reality on this one.”

“You mean AION is dressing up as a woman?”

“What?” Chase screwed his face up and then belly laughed. “No, Brent. But he may have a larger hand in this than anyone suspects.”