On day four of our journey to Speral town, riding on the back of the horse cart, our eyes panned over the multiple landscapes we had crossed on our journey. They start to blur together, all of them looking the same in my eyes now. The same cobblestone roads, the same guards, there was nothing really special about them.
However, as the day wore on our journey, it came to an end and a new chapter began, the tale of my story at its humble beginnings.
I stood face to face with that statue once more, my body a mere child, but my mind still held the maturity I had gained all those years ago, My mind was a dreamy haze, though the picture was painted clearly. My hands reached out towards him, feeling its rough texture on my hands once more. A golden feather slid into my hands out of thin air.
"Arlen." A voice called out to me, though it felt distant.
"Arlen!" It got louder and louder, my body feeling lighter as if it were lifted, a crisp sting crossing my cheek.
"Arlen!!" I opened my eyes, seeing Racher over me, his hand gripping my collar, my face swollen from his earlier assault.
"We're here." He murmured, letting go of my collar and letting me fall into the horse cart with a large thud. My heart raced with excitement at what he just said, looking up to see the guild right before my eyes.
"We're here.." I muttered, my voice hardly above a whisper, my breath taken away by the mere size of it. Towering over the rest of the town, made out of cobble and wood, painted glass in the shape of a woman accepting a reward from the king, framed magnificently.
"That's what I've been saying," Racher commented as I got out of the cart.
"Good luck in there, and thanks for your help." The old man waved us goodbye as he rode off. I had a grin on my face as I turned towards the guild.
"Alright, let's do this," I said with a determined grin.
Racher smiled and nodded at my statement, both of us walking into the building with our weapons strapped to us.
"Welcome all to the Speral Guild." A woman dressed in all white greeted us on top of a podium, a grand stage for jesters and entertainers. She wore a soft smile, her eyes closed, and her black hair flowed down her figure, a stark contrast to her white gown.
"You all are here for one thing. To have your names written down in history, am I correct?"
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The crowd cheered in response to her query, a soft chuckle escaping her lips the moment she heard.
The room was packed with other adventurers, from the seasoned to the fresh, some looking like they'd never wielded a blade before, much less had enough mana to put out a candle.
"This'll be easy," I murmured to myself, a soft chuckle escaping my lips.
"Don't get too cocky," Racher said, his voice hushed so only I could hear.
"There might be some weaklings here, but there's also some formidable opponents here too." I couldn't quite see, but Racher's eyes landed on a little boy with black hair and emerald green eyes; he seemed to be a fighter just like me, his sword tucked away in its socket.
"We need to avoid them at all costs."
"Now, I'll explain the rules." The woman spoke once more, looking around in the crowd, numbers appearing over our heads, none in a specific order.
"Those numbers tell you who your teammates are, whoever shares that number will be paired." I looked up to mine,
"A fifty-three," I said, looking up to Racher's, who had a thirty-four.
"Guess we won't be teaming up this time," Racher muttered, his arm stretched out to me, hand folded into a fist.
"It's everyman for himself now. No hard feelings right?"
I took a minute, and I grinned at him, giving him a fist bump.
"No hard feelings."
"Teams will be teleported to random parts of the four continents and will have to find their way back. Although no more than thirty teams can pass this exam, so killing will be permitted."
I looked up to the woman who stood above us all, her smile a bit more devious than before, there was bloodlust behind that smile, my spine shivering as I felt the killing intent of the other contestants.
I swallowed on nothing in particular, sweat dripping down my brow, my fist clenched as tight as possible.
"Those who pass will receive a guild card, which gives access to everything within the four continents and the central estate, no matter what charges you are held under, as long as you comply with our missions that guild card will always be valid, although, if you ignore us that card will no longer be valid and you will be hunted down for treason against the guild." She continued. Coming to a pause to take in a deep breath.
"Now, with that explained,. I wish you luck." Her sentence was breathy and slowed, sending chills down my spine. The once crowded room, turning black...all around me.
"Hey, HEY!" I voice called out to me, my eyes opening to see two shadowy figures standing above.
"He's finally awake!" A cheerful voice shot through my ears, and my eyes finally regained focus to see a lad with purple hair that hung down his face, his rich tanned skin shimmering in the sun, and purple eyes filled with joy looking at me. He seemed to be a mage as well, though his attire was nothing like Racher's, his cloak was more pristine and well kept; his staff was holding a blue orb and not just a scrappy carving of a staff.
"an elf huh?" A huffed voice also graced my presence, A girl stood over me with her arms crossed and a cold blue stare. Her features were rough but at the same time delicate, her long blonde hair draping down her back. She seemed to be a rogue, her body adorned with hidden weapons and contraptions I could only find because she infused them. She seemed to be a rookie, though one of great talent, judging by the way she carried herself.
"We should start by finding out where we are." She declared.
"R-right!" The boy responded as he got up from my side.
Slowly, I rose as well, surrounded by greenery that took over a forgotten civilization, the stains of human craft littering the area. Architecture being pulled down by the vines of the forest.
"Where the hell are we?"