“We’re almost there,” Gustus called to the three people sitting in the back of the wagon, “Only a couple more hours and we’ll be at the gates of Vashklehom, my friends.”
“That’s good,” Brian sighed as he stretched out his back, placing the large tome he had been reading on the seat beside him, looking at his two companions, “How are the two of you feeling?”
“Fine,” Grisha nodded, replying to him immediately thanks to the Soul Contract on her, the thought making Brian flinch slightly, “The journey was somewhat boring, but thankfully you had many books for us to read.”
“Not a thing to hunt or kill the entire time,” Karen sighed as she leaned back, glaring at Brian in annoyance, “These underground roads truly are boring. We’ve barely even encountered other traders.”
“That’s to be expected,” Gustus laughed, “The underground roads are only one way, after all.”
“They are?” Brian blinked, “Why? How do people get back to the previous cities if they can only go one way?”
“They take the other road, of course,” the old merchant chuckled, “There are two roads between each dwarven city. This is to help prevent congestion and also in case something happens to one of the roads, that way there’s still a connection between the cities.”
“Ah, so it’s like a highway?” Brian nodded, the others looking at him in confusion, “It’s nothing, I was just surprised, that’s all.”
“Right,” Gustus nodded, “So, what’re you kids planning on doing once we reach Vashklehom?”
“Well, first we need to report to the Adventurer’s Guild to find out what this job we’ve been sent on is about,” Brian said, pulling out the letter that he’d been given by the mysterious Guild Master, “And then find a crafter who will be able to make my wand idea a reality.”
“I see,” the merchant nodded, “Well, we’ll be taking that money you gave us and shopping around for the materials you requested. Shouldn’t take long.”
“Good to hear,” Brian smiled, before recalling something, closing his eyes to search around his Spatial Storage for a moment, finding what he was looking for, “Here, take this as well.”
“What is it?” the younger of the two merchants, Lucas, asked, looking at the object in confusion.
It was a round piece of stone that had been carved to look like a grotesque mouth, the cracked lips parted to reveal a series of jagged and crooked teeth.
“A Communicator Stone,” Brian explained, “Sorry for the way it looks, the guy I got it from had a…unique sense of style. I have the one it’s paired to in my storage, so I’ll contact you guys on it once we’re done and have found an Inn.”
“Unique sense of style, he says,” Lucas muttered, scowling slightly at the man, “And how is that going to work? Most Communication Stones only work over a set distance. What if we’re too far away?”
“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Brian grinned, “After all, the range on that item is about fifty kilometers.”
“F-fifty?” Lucas squeaked, staring at the object in his hands in shock, “B-but…that’s five times what most high-grade commercial Communication stones can cover! Only high-ranking officers of the royal armies should have something like this! How in the world did you get your hands on something this valuable?!”
“I just got lucky,” Brian shrugged, looking up as they approached the gates, a long line of carts standing outside as the guards carefully inspected them, some being led off down a side passage as others were allowed inside, “What’s going on here?”
“Simple gate check,” Gustus huffed in annoyance, “Looks like we’ll be here for another hour at least while they check the other carts. You kids might as well use those papers you have and go ahead, don’t worry about us, we’ll be fine.”
“If you’re sure,” Brian nodded to the two women, the three of them climbing out of the back of the cart and stretching out their stiff limbs, “See you inside, Gustus!”
“Halt,” the dwarf said as the three approached, eyeing each of them suspiciously, “Back of the line, humans.”
“I have these,” Brian said, holding out the papers to the guard, who took them, reading over them quickly, before grunting.
“Wait here,” they muttered, turning away and heading through a short stone door set into the bricks beside the massive gate.
The three waited twenty minutes before another dwarf came hurrying out of the gate, Brian almost chuckling at how fast their short legs were moving as they approached, papers in hand.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“I apologize for the wait,” the dwarf panted slightly, “My name is Gurdr Ironeye, and I am the assistant to the Adventurer’s Guild’s Guild Master. If you would all please follow me.”
Brian glanced back at the women behind him, Grisha smiling as she nodded, Karen just rolling her golden eyes.
“Lead the way then!”
------
“This way, this way,” the dwarf said as they led the three towards the large stone building, standing out amongst the other buildings, which were short and squat, this one having dimensions much more like those the three were used to from the human lands.
The stone doors swung open on oiled hinges as the four entered, finding themselves in a familiar scene. Adventurers of all types gathered and drank in the main room, several glancing up as they walked in, before going back to their conversations and drinks. The only real difference to the other Adventurer’s Guilds they’d been in before was that most of the people were Dwarves, though there were a few other species mixed in. Brian quickly turned back to Gurdr as the dwarf hurried them along, ushering the three up the stairs towards the Guild Master’s office, garnering them a few interested looks.
“So, you’re finally here?” the old dwarf, though Brian was just guessing that by the silver streaks in their beard, said gruffly as they entered the room, “How’s that brat Gregor doing? Still a wily little shit?”
“I assume you mean the Guild Master that gave us those papers?” Brian asked as Gurdr handed the stack of letters to the other dwarf, “Considering he basically tricked us into doing this job, pretty wily.”
“Sounds like the brat,” the dwarf nodded, glancing at Gurdr as the assistant flitted about nervously, “You can go, Gurdr, I need to talk to these kids privately for a moment. Bring the others in two minutes.”
“Right away, Uncle!” the dwarf nodded, freezing as they realised what they’d said, “Sorry! I mean Guild Master.”
“Huh,” Brian chuckled as the dwarf hurried from the room, “A little nepotism there?”
“Not particularly,” the old dwarf rumbled back, Brian taking a moment to realize that he was chuckling as well, “Gurdr is a good child. Has a useful and rare Job for us dwarves; Scribe.”
“Rare?” Brian asked, the dwarf looking at him coldly, “Sorry, I just asked because I’m also a Scribe.”
“And an Adventurer? That’s an even rarer combination if I’ve ever seen one,” the old dwarf rumbled again, Brian letting out a sigh of relief as the dwarf laughed, “Well, anyway, onto business. The name’s Hurl Ironeye, Guild Master of the Vashklehom Adventurer’s Guild, and I have a job for the three of you.”
“You mentioned others before,” Brian hummed, glancing back at the door, “So we won’t be the only ones on this quest?”
“No,” the dwarf hummed as the door swung open, revealing Gurdr and two others, “Meet your temporary companions for this job.”
The man and woman walked in; Brian unable to help staring at them in awe. The man stood at an easy eight feet, towering above the rest of them, his body covered in orange fur with black stripes, his chest and stomach sporting similarly thick white fur. Behind him lashed a long feline tail, striped with orange and black, and a pair of small round ear sat on top of his head, his face closer to that of an actual tiger’s than a human. The other person was a woman, though she had pure white fur and fox-like features instead and only stood at about five and a half feet tall. The pair looked slightly odd together, but they both nodded politely to the Guild Master as they entered, moving to sit on the couches in front of his desk.
“Right, introductions are in order, I suppose,” Hurl grunted, “So get to it.”
The two groups stared at each other for a moment, before the tiger-man let out a chuckle, showing his sharp fangs.
“First time seeing a beastkin, kid?” he rumbled, the sound strangely like halfway between a growl and a purr, “You humans always seem to be surprised the first time you see our kind.”
“Oh, yes,” Brian nodded as he blushed, “Sorry.”
“No need,” the man continued, “Anyway, the name’s Mart, and this is Fern.”
“Brian,” Brian said as he extended a hand, the beastkin taking it and shaking the hand strongly, “And my companions are Grisha and Karen.”
“A pleasure,” the man nodded, turning to look at the Guild Master, “So, about this job?”
“Right,” Hurl nodded, “The five of you will be going to the Deep Roads with a group from the Archaeologist’s Society while they explore and record a dig site, acting as bodyguards and extra muscle.”
“Fair enough,” Mart nodded, “How far out is the site?”
“About a week’s journey by cart,” the dwarf replied, making the beastkin cringe slightly, “I know, it’s especially dangerous that far into the Deep Roads, but the job pays well. Very well.”
“Then I guess we don’t have much choice but to take it,” Mart grunted, turning to look at Brian and his group, “I take it this’ll be your first times in the Deep Roads? No offense, but you all still smell quite strongly of the surface.”
“Yes,” Brian nodded as Grisha muttered behind him, trying to sniff herself surreptitiously, “Any advice?”
“Oh, plenty,” the tiger-man chuckled, “We can share over some food.”
“Then we’ll pay, as thanks for the advice,” Brian grinned back, the two men nodding to each other, “Though, there is one more thing I’d like to ask.”
“Ask away,” Mart shrugged.
“Why are both of you cursed?”
------
“We’re finally here!” the teen shouted as the group approached the end of the long queue, “But damn, it’s taken ages just to reach the coast. And are we even going to be able to find a boat to take us to the Elves?”
“Keep your voice down, idiot,” the girl growled as they joined the line, “You don’t need to announce our plans to the world, you know?”
“Rachel is right, Shadow,” the second boy said, shaking his head as he wiped some dust off his robe, “We don’t need everyone knowing our intentions.”
“Whatever, Andrew,” the Rogue pouted, turning to the third boy in their group, “You’ll take my side, won’t you best friend?”
“Rachel and Andrew have a point, Shadow,” the lightly armored teen sighed as he looked at the long line, “Just keep it down until we’re in the city itself.”
“Oh, come on man! Not you too?”
“This line makes me nervous,” the final member of their party cut in, the robed girl shaking her head as she spoke quietly, “What if they’re checking everyone’s identities at the gate, Brian?”
“It’s not like we have anything to hide,” the armored boy replied, looking around in case anyone heard them, “We’re just a party of Adventurers, remember? Nothing that special about us.”
“Right,” the others nodded, falling silent as they waited their turn in line.