“Coward,” Angela muttered to herself as she made her way to her secret hiding place.
She crossed the city quickly and expertly until she reached her destination.
The thick nails she had hammered into the broken stone gave her purchase as she climbed the drainpipe, walked along the ledge of the building, and then climbed into the narrow hole that led to a small storage space.
Inside, the mattress she had rescued from some noble’s trash waited for her.
She had used a rope to hoist the child-sized mattress up, all in the dead of night, with no one being the wiser.
She carefully pushed the plank of wood into position over the hole and shut herself off from the rest of the world.
Everything she owned was in this room.
A few articles of clothing, her old teddy bear with the single button eye, and the pictures of her mother and father.
She laid back on her mattress and rested her head on the rolled blanket that served as her pillow.
Picking up the picture of her father, she studied it intently.
It wasn’t really a picture of him. He had been a soldier in the kingdom’s army and had just not come home one day.
Never having known her mother, she had found a picture in one of her books and tore it out so she would have something to look at and remember her by.
She had been staying at the house of a friend of her father, who had a daughter her age named Kaylee.
A soldier had come to the house to tell them that both of their fathers had died in combat.
Kaylee’s mother had broken down and Kaylee had rushed to her, but she had no one to comfort her.
They took her to the orphanage that day.
Like everyone in the kingdom, she was born with a skill. Her skill was Survival, and when she felt something in the pit of her stomach, she knew to listen to it.
She had taken one look at the imperious looking man that ran the orphanage and planned her escape.
A mad dash through the doorway and through the alleys had found her a good way from the evil man and whatever gruesome fate he had in store for her.
Angela stared at the picture. Her father, the hero, wore shining armor and rode a magnificent stallion.
“I bet you could have been a paladin if you wanted,” she said to the picture.
She had understood what Forge had meant when he joked about the heavy, shining armor. He had made a joke. A funny one.
Daniel was a hero, too. She had seen it.
It was when he had charged down the hallway, and she had seen the large scary man’s eyes bulge in the reflection of Forge’s mask, that she understood what being a hero meant.
It wasn’t enough to be brave and strong.
Your enemy had to fear you.
Being good and normal was how you died. Like her mother and father.
Tears ran down her face, and she set the picture aside and pulled her blanket up to her chin.
Maybe she would visit Forge at the Guild, after all.
She had decided early on that she would join the Guild when she was old enough.
That’s where the heroes were now. All the Kingdom’s heroes had died when her father fell.
***
Daniel stood at the top of the long stairs and looked down at the street below.
He had seriously considered using his last three points and putting them into Endurance.
Those stairs were steep, and with no rail along the sides, one misstep would see you tumbling down the stairs like a particularly squishy rock.
“I bet those stairs keep random people from coming up here and bothering the adventurers,” he sent the dragon.
“Fly.”
“Well, some of us can’t fly. Not yet anyway,” he said.
“Fly. Both.”
“Hopefully one day, you and I will soar together through the sky…and get absolutely pelted with bugs.”
“Crunchy.”
“Gross,” Daniel laughed.
Two guards stood at attention by the open gate that led into a small courtyard.
“May I have the reason for your visit to the Adventurers Guild, sir?” a guard asked.
“Hello. I would like to join the Adventurers Guild. May I enter?”
The guard gave him a once over, eyes scanning him from beneath the chain-mail coif he wore.
“You may enter.”
Daniel gave a quick bow to each guard and walked through the gate.
“Good luck,” one called out to him.
Hoping for the same, he walked along the pathway through the well-manicured lawn to the large doors of the Guild.
The foyer was exactly as he had imagined it. Doorways led in every direction, with a steady stream of people coming and going.
These were not the people that walked the streets of the city. These were adventurers.
Everyone wore swords openly, or even carried slung bows or crossbows.
A spellcaster floated by with a group of others as they made their way across the foyer, chatting amiably.
Foregoing his people watching, he made his way through the light traffic and approached the receptionist.
“Hello, I’d like to join the Adventurers Guild.”
The man behind the counter wore a padded doublet with a belt of red potions on loops across his chest.
He looked up from his paperwork and gave him a friendly smile.
“Outstanding!”
Reaching over to a small tray, he collected a yellow parchment and readied a fancy reed pen.
“Ready for a few questions?” he asked.
“Of course,” Daniel replied.
“Please tell me all your classes. General, Combat, Magical, and Divine.”
“Warrior. Elementalist. Paladin.”
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Stopping and looking up at him, the man studied him with a quizzical expression.
“Well, that’s a new one on me.”
He turned back to his paper and made a few notes.
“Combat Specialty?”
“Mace,” he replied.
“Paladin of…?”
“Honos.”
The man laughed in genuine amusement.
“Well, there goes the chance that you might have been fibbing about your magic class.”
“How many, if any, mana-gates do you have open?” he continued.
“Two.”
“This last one I feel ridiculous asking a paladin of Honos, but it’s the rules. Have you done any act that may make you ineligible to join the Guild?”
Daniel paused. That was a tough question, but he answered honestly.
“I have done no act that would make me ineligible to join the Guild, but it’s possible that someone may have painted me in such a light.”
The receptionist considered his words, then came to a decision.
“Noble or Kingdom?”
“Possibly both,” he replied.
Nodding in understanding, the guard made a note.
“Can you please give me a simple and safe demonstration of your magical ability?”
Daniel considered the request and looked around the room.
Seeing what he wanted. He gestured to a burning orb that rolled and boiled in the mouth of a stone salamander set high on the wall behind the reception desk.
It was just within his range, and unlike the other various lights in the room that seemed to be magic, this was the only fire he could actually feel.
He called to the fire and a part of it jumped from the orb and down to his hand.
Daniel had to grit his teeth, having to use more willpower than normal to move the flame, but it eventually obeyed him.
He heard a slam and then yelling come from the doorway behind the reception desk.
The receptionist’s eyes nearly climbed up into his eyebrows and he gave him a worried smile.
“Just smile…uh, reflect, I guess,” he said, looking at his mask, then turning to watch the door.
An elven woman stomped out from the doorway.
“Who broke my mana barrier?!” she yelled, then stopped as she spotted him holding the flame.
“I apologize. I was asked to demonstrate my magical ability,” he said lamely.
“And you thought it would be a good idea to break my mana barrier? Didn’t you see it?” she demanded.
Daniel released the flame and willed it to return to the orb.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see the mana barrier.”
“You should have scanned for magical effects before casting,” she stated, still mad, but thankfully no longer yelling.
“Once again, I apologize. I honestly don’t know how to scan for magical effects.”
She stared at him, then pushed past the seated receptionist, who scurried to get out of her way.
“Elementalist? You don’t have mana sight?” she asked.
“I’m afraid not.”
She stared at his mirrored face and then snatched the paper from the desk and looked it over.
“Fine. You’re in,” she said, not looking up from the sheet.
Daniel stood waiting for instructions, and the woman finally looked up from the paper.
She stared at him for a moment, then turned to the receptionist, who had been attempting to sneak away.
Her voice turned saccharin sweet.
“Poncho, please take our new recruit to the wall, then come to my office. I’ll have Blip monitor things while you’re away.”
The man nodded, vaulted the desk, and took Daniel’s elbow and began walking him toward the far corridor.
Daniel sighed.
“I’m sorry if I got you in trouble.”
The man grinned widely at him.
“Are you kidding? She’s even more beautiful when she’s mad.”
Grinning like a madman, Poncho walked him down the hall to a large room with wooden benches set in tiered rows.
“Hey Blue, I’ve got another one for you,” Poncho yelled before turning back to Daniel.
“Got to go. The boss needs to chew me out, and then get even madder when I ask her out to dinner again,” he said, waggling his eyebrows at him.
Daniel watched as he jogged back down the hallway, only now spotting the two braces of daggers that adorned his back.
“Weird,” he sent Cinder.
“Funny!” the dragon responded.
Smiling to himself, Daniel agreed.
The large room only had six people in it. Four of which were huddled around a table laden with sweets.
The two outliers were a young man dressed in gaudy clothing, sitting on a bench looking up at him, and a gnome with bright blue hair that stuck straight up from his head, like it was trying to escape.
“Blue!” Cinder shouted in excitement.
“Yes. I’m pretty sure that’s Blue.”
“Grab something to eat. We’ll get started in a few,” the gnome told him, returning to his book.
The young noble ignored Daniel’s polite nod, so he walked over to the snack table.
“Nice mask!” said a woman holding a pastry and a cup of tea.
If this was going to be his new life, he needed to be a little more open; he decided.
Reaching up, he removed his mask, then placed it beneath his cloak, where it disappeared into his ring.
“Thank you. I like your bow.”
He looked the group over. He wasn’t an expert by any stretch, but he could make some educated guesses about their classes.
The woman that had complimented him had an intricately carved bow and wore brown leather armor over a muted green gambeson. Clearly a slinger, he thought.
The whip-lean man next to her had a half smile on his face and a thick-bladed sword at his hip.
It differed from the arming swords the guards carried in Barda, as it was both longer and had an intricate basket guard.
Judging by the thickness of the sword, he had to assume the man had put at least one point into Strength.
“Have him try the sword,” a short bulldog of a man said.
The warrior laughed good-naturedly at the suggestion.
“My sword is particularly heavy, so just holding it out is a real workout. Want to give it a try?” he asked.
Daniel smiled.
“Sure.”
The man drew the sword, both hands flat on the blade as he held it out, grip first.
Daniel took the sword, and his hand fit snugly into the protected grip.
He held his arm out straight and the blade easily tripled his reach.
Careful not to swing the blade and cause an accident. He held it out easily, but still felt the weight.
Not only did he not have a point in the Swords skill, but the design was also unfamiliar to him.
After a few moments, he turned his wrist and brought the sword up in a salute, like he had seen the Bardan guards do, then handed the sword back.
“The balance on the sword is incredible. You’re lucky to have such an exquisite blade,” he told the warrior.
The man accepted the sword back and beamed at him.
“Well, I can tell you have put at least two points into Strength and have excellent taste. So, I call dibs on you for my team,” he said.
The group laughed, and the short man gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder.
“Nice work! I have a point in Strength, but don’t have the Sword skill, so I nearly dropped the bloody thing when I held it out.”
Daniel grinned back at the man.
A monk, perhaps, he thought.
The last member of the group didn’t require him to guess her class.
Wearing the white surcoat of a cleric and bearing the lion of Hypros, God of Protection and Strength, the tall blond woman smiled warmly at him.
Her smile faltered, and she did a double take.
“You walk the Path of the Divine as well,” she said.
Everyone stopped and stared at him, and after a moment, he realized the problem.
He had dressed in black.
Any cleric wearing black was generally a follower of one of the dark gods.
“Relax everyone. I’m a Paladin of Honos.”
As proof, he undid the front of his tunic and displayed the tattoo on his chest.
He could see the group relax as they took in the stallion-head sigil.
“A knight in black, practically torn from the pages of some torrid romance novel,” an acerbic voice proclaimed behind him.
Daniel turned and saw the noble that had segregated himself away from the others had joined the party.
“I don’t think I’ve read those books,” he said to the young noble.
Now standing, he could see the thin-bladed rapier he wore on his hip. A strange choice for a monster hunter, he thought. But the thin blade would probably do the job if he knew how to use it.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Daniel said, holding his hand out.
The noble turned his nose up at the proffered hand and walked around him to take a pastry from the table.
“Ahem!” came the sharp voice of the gnome.
Blue was now standing next to them, his eyes staring up at the noble.
“We’re about to get started, but please allow me to give you all some advice.”
The gnome addressed them all, but his eyes remained on the noble.
“There will be some competition here to get on a team, so it’s best to put your best foot forward and not anger any of the other Rank Ones.”
“While family money can come in handy occasionally, money is secondary to good team cohesion.”
The gnome’s eyes turned to the rest of them.
“Grab your seats. It’s time to get started.”
***
A knock came from the door and Jackel looked up from his paperwork.
“Come in,” he called out.
He grinned as Sapphire Phoenix came in and slumped down in a chair.
She threw one leg over the arm of the chair and looked for all the world like the young girl he had met so long ago.
“I thought you’d come to rescue me from my paperwork, but come on,” he reproached.
“You’re over eight-hundred years old. What’s with the teenage girl attitude?”
She leaned her back over the chair and threw an arm over her face.
“Dramatic,” Jackel observed.
“Poncho keeps asking me out,” she complained.
“Well, go out on a date with the boy, let him buy you dinner, then open up to him and let all that crazy out, and we’ll send some people to find him after he’s climbed the nearest tree to get away from you,” he laughed.
Sapphire Phoenix removed her arm and gave him a withering look.
“He’s always trying to get my attention and this time it was a doozy.”
“There he was, interviewing some new recruit, and this new guy broke through my mana barrier and pulled part of the flame out of the Salamander’s Orb.”
Jackal raised an eyebrow at that.
“Impressive for a recruit to break through a mana barrier,” he observed.
“And get this: He said he was an Elementalist.”
Jackal didn’t understand what he’d heard for a moment. His mind raced and his pulse pounded in his ears.
“What did you say!!” he bellowed.
Sapphire jumped and sat upright in the chair.
“I…” she began.
“An Elementalist!” he demanded.
“I…yes,” she said.
Jackal stood and ran over to his door.
“Zap, get over here!” he yelled from the doorway and then stomped back to his chair.
“Hell’s Fires,” he muttered.
“Where is he now? The Elementalist?”
“I sent him to the wall for the introduction speech,” she said, standing up.
“Good, good,” he muttered.
Jackal looked up at the Elven woman.
“Go get him and bring him to me,” he said.
Then, reconsidering, he added.
“Very politely,” he cautioned.
She nodded and darted out of the room.
A brute of a man arrived at his door.
“Zap, you have a new assignment. The most important one of your life,” he said.
The giant man grunted in understanding.
“Go see the Enchanter. You’re going to be a fresh-faced recruit again, and your job is going to be to protect the Elementalist. Understand?”
The man bowed, turned, then stopped in the doorway. He turned back to Jackal.
“No, not really.”
Sighing, Jackal silently counted to ten and looked up at his old friend.
“A focal point has arrived, and a new era is upon us,” he said.
Zap sucked in a breath and then nodded.
“I swear on my life, I’ll protect him.”
Jackal stepped around the desk and patted him on the shoulder.
“I know you will. And thank you.”
Zap turned and left the room, and Jackal returned to his desk.
He needed to prepare.