Fred sighed as he relaxed at the guild, sitting alongside the others who formed Fate’s Golden but were not working that day. From the farmers, to the porters, and to the three Adam had adopted first into the business. His eyes fell across the large form of Nobby, currently accosted by other adventurers, a familiar sight.

“A body like that, you should be joining us,” Throm said, a Silver Rank adventurer, better known by his epithet, Strong Arm. The light wrinkled around his face revealed him to be in his late forties or so, and with his black hair and dark grey eyes, was certainly a northerner. He wore dark clothing, near black, and carried a warhammer at his side, no doubt magical. “Whatever they’re offering you, I bet we could beat it.”

“No,” Nobby replied.

“Are you sure?” Throm asked, his lips forming a wide smile. “What are they paying you? A gold a day? Two? Three? We just spent the last week hunting down a hydra, so our coin purses are heavy.”

“So heavy we can barely spend the coin,” another adventurer added, raising his mug of ale, causing the nearby adventurers, even from other groups, to cheer as they raised their mugs to drink.

“No,” Nobby replied.

“Thatta boy, so what do you say? How much do you want? We can say a half share for now, which should be more than what you’re getting now.” A wild grin painted firmly across Strong Arm’s face.

“You’ll need to speak with the Executives if you want to buy him out of his contract,” Fred said, sipping his grain wine lightly. It had been heavily watered down, and flavoured with a few bits of fruit, which he could eat from the bottom once he finished his drink.

“A contract? Didn’t know there were still people offering contracts as part of adventuring.”

“It’s a contract for the business, not for the adventuring party.”

“Business?”

“Nobby’s a…” Fred paused, thinking carefully back to who trained Nobby, and the particular offer he had received along with Brittany. “We’re members of a business. We deal with magical items.”

“Magical items, eh?” Throm rubbed his chin, feeling a day’s growth up against his palm. “So you’re getting paid well?”

“Well enough that we don’t have to worry about gold,” Fred confirmed.

“Where’s the fun in trading with magical items? Come on, lad, Nobby was it? Join our party and maybe you’ll slay a hydra or two in the next couple of years.”

“Nobby’s already slain a hydra,” Brittany said. “We’ve all slain some last year.”

Throm’s laughter filled the air. “You kids have gone around killing hydras?”

“Several,” Fred replied. “Just the last year, after Nobby here won the tournament.”

“Before,” Brittany said. “It was at the end of dawnval, before the wyverns and the trolls.”

“You’re right,” Fred replied. ‘Hydras. Wyverns. Trolls…’ Fred had completely forgotten the last year when they had managed to kill so many creatures. In comparison to last year, this year had gone so smoothly. ‘They also met the Goddess too…’

Throm smiled, his smile widening, though his jaw and forehead pulsed. He slapped the table in front of them, the sound silencing the nearby area of the guild, which rippled like a wave as other adventurers glanced towards them.

“If you want to refuse, refuse properly,” Throm said. “You southerners always act like this.”

Rick sipped his grain wine loudly, calling the attention to himself. “Don’t mean no offence, but if you want Nobby, you’ll need to speak with either Adam or Jurot. They’re the one’s who trained the boy.”

“What kind of auroch shit are you saying?” Throm asked. “You guys killed some hydras, and your boy here won the tournament? Anyone else here listening would think you’re trying to pick a fight.”

“We don’t mean to bother you, just speaking the truth,” Rick said. “We’re just simple folk. We want to eat our food and go about our day. If you want to speak with someone, you should speak with the leaders who pay us.”

“Speaking the truth?” Throm asked, clenching his fist as he grinned even wider. “You-,”

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“You are causing a bother within the guild,” a guild worker called, a younger man who wore glasses, whose hair and beard were neatly trimmed.

“A bother?” Throm asked, a wider grin appearing on his face. “I’m just having a conversation, that’s all.”

“I will request that you return to your seat,” the guild worker said, his eyes clear and stern.

Throm grinned even wider towards the guild worker, his head and neck pulsing with annoyance. He grit his teeth while he grinned, his fist shaking ever so slightly. He reached out a hand and placed it on Nobby’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. “We can discuss this later, boy.”

“Who the hell’s bullying our Nobby?” called a voice.

Fred let out a sigh of relief, though wondered if that was an appropriate response when it came to him. However, upon seeing Adam’s face, Fred paused. His lips were painted in a similar smile to Throm, his face and neck also pulsing with annoyance.

‘Uh oh,’ Brittany thought. ‘Will Nirot and the others be annoyed they missed this?’

“Who are you?” Throm asked.

“Me?” Adam asked. “I’m Executive Adam.”

“So you’re the one I need to talk to,” Throm said, pulling his hand away from Nobby, his eyes glued to the approaching young man. “I heard you claimed this boy as yours.”

“So I have.”

“What’s the contract?”

Adam glanced down towards the silver necklace the man wore. “I’ve introduced myself, shouldn’t you introduce yourself?”

“I’m Thorm Strong Arm,” Thorm replied. “I’m the vice leader of the Band of Mighty North.”

“You are active in the north,” Kitool replied, feeling Adam’s questioning gaze upon her, though she recalled little else of the group, for they had nothing to do with those who claimed the title of Mighty.

“And who are you, Iyrman?”

“Kitool.”

Throm waited for Kitool to say more, but she remaiend silent. “So, what’s the contract?”

“As far as I recall, we’re paying him half an Expert’s monthly wage, and we’ll be providing for his family, as well as handing him magical items when appropriate,” Adam replied. ‘Speaking of magical weapons, I should probably walk around with a magical dagger so people don’t get any funny business. Probably a good idea to enchant it with something like a smite enchantment too.’

“Not a lot of coin for someone like him,” Throm said. “He’s got potential.”

“Not a lot of coin, but he and his family never have to worry about going hungry, or about magical gear,” Adam replied. “Plus, we’ve trained him to be an Expert too. He’s so good, he beat a bunch of Iyrmen to win last year’s tournament.”

“He won the tournament?”

“That he did.”

“I heard it was an Iyrman who won.”

“Are you talking about Jurot?” Adam.

“Jurot the Savage, I think they call him.”

“Yeah, my brother placed first, but Nobby fought in the younger section,” Adam said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Your brother?” Throm’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You’re no Iyrman.”

“I’m no Iyrman, but Jurot’s my brother,” Adam replied, simply.

Throm narrowed his eyes. “You southerners all talk so big, but you don’t have a lot to show for it.” His eyes then fell to the steel tag around Adam’s neck. “No, not quite nothing, but not enough to act like you’re so tall in front of me.”

Adam narrowed his eyes as he glared at Throm. “If you want to fight, just say it. I’m not someone who runs away from a fight.”

“Executive Adam,” Kitool said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You have fought enough today.”

‘He already fought today?’ Fred though, before his eyes fell to the trio of women who were battered. ‘…’

“I see you’re good at hitting little girls, but I’m no little girl,” Throm said, smirking wide.

Adam closed his eyes, tilting his head slightly. “You know, the one thing about nobles and guards bothering you, is that you’ll get into trouble if you fight them back. But adventurers? Adventurers are easy money.”

“You want to bet?”

“A thousand gold,” Adam said. “Let me get my armour.”

“Adam,” Kitool said.

“Kitool, are you really going to stop me?”

“You may fight tomorrow in the morning, after you have rested,” Kitool said.

“I can fight right now,” Adam replied. “It’s not like I’ll drop in one blow.”

“Is he getting himself into another fight?” a figure asked, stepping beside Vonda. “I should have expected as much.”

“Today has been a challenge for Adam,” Vonda replied, glancing towards the other priest, who had crossed his arms as he watched the scene. “There have been multiple challenges he faced today, this is another.”

“I thought he wouldn’t get into trouble if he was with the wisest members of Fate’s Golden?” Amira asked.

“The chances decreased, but it doesn’t mean the world will allow him to walk so freely,” Dunes joked.

The guild worker cleared his throat. “You may fight at the range, but you should all settle down.” His eyes fell to the large group of dirty children, as well as the trio of women who seemed to have taken a harsh beating.

‘…’

Vonda smiled. “Adam, please step down.”

“Sister Vonda, you heard what he said,” Adam replied, his eyes falling back to the priest, almost as if asking for her permission to fight.

“The children are watching.”

Adam’s eyes then fell across the children, who were eyeing up the tense situation. They had already had to deal with the guards, the carriage driver, and now there was another fight in front of them.

“I want to go home,” a child whispered, tugging on Viper’s leg.

Adam closed his eyes, reaching into his shirt, before pulling out his amulet, keeping a hand gripped around it. The cool metal pressed firmly against his skin. “Of course, Sister Vonda. You’re right.”

Throm could feel the intense pressure emanating from the young man before him. There was something rising within the young man, ready to burst, but it was kept at bay by the young women at his side. His eyes fell across the Priest of Life, and then the sight of the Aswadians, each who were no doubt members of an order from across the sea, some of whom were watching the scene with a playful smile, as though it was a show.

His eyes fell to the apprehensive eyes of the dirty children.

“I apologise, Sister Vonda,” Throm said, bowing his head meekly towards the young priest. “My joke went too far.”

“It is fine since the joke has come to an end,” Vonda said, still smiling politely, her eyes clear and firm.