Santiago and Nolan shouldered their way down a brightly colored river of merchants, shoppers, and tourists. People of all sorts made their way through the press. Merchants wearing bright and eye catching clothing of all kinds, most of them yelling and waving their wares at the crowds. There were the shoppers, wearing everything from rags to Northelander silks. Craftsmen and laborers abounded, their worn and rugged garbs hinting at their professions. Even bureaucrats could be found among the throng, though the crowd gave them little deference without their high chairs and guards.
None stood out as much however, as the delvers. All of them instantly recognizable by gleaming armor, large weapons, and even the occasional magical implements. Though even encased in armor and laden with weapons, the crowds pressed on, most of the time at a passerby’s painful expense. Santiago already having apologized multiple times as unlucky shoppers were pushed into iron his pauldrons.
“Sorry dude!” Santiago called out. Pulling the man that’d just run face first into his steel pauldron out of a stumble. Santiago barely had time to hear an angry grumble from the man before he was swallowed by the crowd.
“Ya know, the angrier you look the less people will bump into you.” Nolan said. Glowering over the space in front of him like a thunderhead.
“I think its more that you’re small mountain than anything else man. You just look unwell when you glare at people.” Santiago commented, deftly avoiding an older woman who pressed too close.
“If that was the only thing then there’d be other big guys running into me. I’m basically a gold star.” He rumbled, finishing the sentence off with a self satisfied chuckle.
“Yeah, you and your forty silver armor really scream gold star adventurer. I can practically feel the glory pouring off of you.” Santiago laughed, “But nah, I’ve seen what all you big guys do, you have this weird nod thing you give each other before you pass by.”
“All I’m hearing is jealousy dude.” Nolan said, feigning seriousness. “Besides, I know most of these guys. We recognize each other.” He said.
“That’s so weird man, you’re just out here recognizing all these other tall dudes, at least once every few minutes, and nodding at them? You’ve never spoken to any of them.” Santiago pointed out.
“No. It’s like a respect thing, like big guy to big guy. We’re like a big happy exclusive club.” Nolan said. “It’s cool man, really. It’s only weird to you cuz you wish you were tall enough to be a part of it.” The big man turned off onto a side street as they bantered. Slowly but surely pulling them out of the markets heart.
Santiago scoffed at him, “Please, if I wanted to be a part of your weird clique I would just get a taller pair of boots. Or spike my hair.” He said, and inquisitive look passing over his face as he ran an experimental hand through his hair. Then seeing their destination come into view around a bend, he let out a sigh of relief.
The guild building was a humble affair, a single story that couldn’t hold more than four rooms. Santiago had heard that it was the guild founders first home, a remnant of the Iron Bulls days as a smith. Before he’d dropped his hammer and tongs in favor of a war maul.
“That never works, it just makes you look like you’re insecure about it. Trust me, it’s way better to be short and sometimes funny than try and fake being one of us.” Nolan said, waving at a group milling about in front of the office.
As they approached Santiago made them out to be a few bright eyed recruits and their worldweary trainer, Trevor. There were few people in this world as unfortunate as the man in charge of training the nobles, Santiago thought. He and Nolan both nodded at the man in respect and solemnity as they went inside.
“I’m not short, I’m slightly above average height.” He continued under his breath once they were inside, glaring at Nolan as they walked into line for the reception desk.
“Fine then you’re not funny either.” Nolan replied, a piece of cheese wrapped in cloth seeming to have magically appeared in his fingers.
Santiago didn’t dignify the cheese eating bastard with a response. His “losing” of this round of conversation definitely not having anything to do with it.
Forty five minutes later and the wait in line had done everything but pull Santiago’s teeth out. He had waited three years for his next steps as a delver, and today he and Nolan would be made an official team. Fully sanctioned by the guild, backed by the Iron Bull himself, and dungeon delving ready.
“Next please.” The old woman behind the desk called amicably for them as she straightened a stack of papers against her desk.
The two delvers stepped forwards, and Santiago took the lead. “Good morning! Santiago Pershick and Nolan Curst, we’re here for our review!” He said, feeling every second pass as an eternity as the woman lazily searched a cabinet full of diver files for their names.
Pulling out two files that had been stapled together the woman began leafing through them. “I see you two have will have been working gate duty for three years tomorrow.” Her eyebrows rose as she read from the file, “I have to say that’s the longest I’ve heard of. Would I be correct to assume you’ve come in for reassignment?
“Thank you very much, getting to dive will be well worth the wait. Nolan said, smiling kindly at the woman.
“Yes you are, where are they putting the new divers this year?” Santiago asked, doing his best to not seem too eager as he tried to read their file notes upside down.
The woman kept scanning through the files, dragging her finger down the pages. On the third page she stopped abruptly at the bottom of the page, pulling her finger off the page and picking it up. She squinted at the page as she leaned forward, rereading it several times. Audibly exhaling she sat the page facedown on her desk, focusing straightening the page before she slowly raised her eyes to look at the two soon to be divers.
“I just want to start off by saying that as a guild, we appreciate you.”
—————————————————————————————————
By the time the two men had made it through the market they were dusty, sweat soaked and on the verge of yelling at bard not quite out of training. Both of them wore layers of padding under their armor, all of which quickly turned against them as the sun peaked in the sky. It was made worse or course by a southern wind, which did it’s best to help the sun bake them. That wasn’t even mentioning the sand, which quickly and effectively turned their gear into hot, chafing, nightmares.
“By the seven Gods if I don’t get out of this thing soon I’m gonna freak out.” Nolan said, tugging at his collar as they passed further and further on from the city.
“Honestly, it might be worth stopping somewhere and cleaning everything. Not to mention grabbing a drink” Santiago responded, his gait noticeably wider as he tried to keep his legs from touching.
“Crash at an inn for the night maybe?” Nolan proposed.
“Ehhh, You’d have to spot me till we get back home, I didn’t expect food to be so expensive back there.” Santiago responded, wiping a bead of sweat off his face but only really succeeding in rubbing extra grime into his forehead.
“Sure but I’m gonna need to hear a, “you’re always right Nolan, how forward thinking and intelligent of you to tell me I need extra cash” Then I’ll spot you for the night.” Nolan paused momentarily, as a thought occurred to him. “Ya know, we could drop by Peter’s place.” Nolan said, a grin spreading out across his bearded face.
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Santiagos face followed in suit. “Now that might be the best idea you’ve had all week! But stuff it, and tell me honestly. You expected it to be that expensive in there? I mean, that was absurd, even for a capital market. I paid a silver for an apple. An apple!” Santi finished off in exasperation.
“I told you not to buy it. Those are for showing off not eating. If you’d just stuck with what I got you’d have had food to spare.” Nolan said. The big man stepping off the road onto a small path, a sign on the side of the path reading “Applestone”.
“I knew I shouldn’t have bought it, but it was a worth. A whole silver! There had to be something to make it worth all that.” Santi reasoned.
“Sure it’s worth it. Someone out there has more money than they have thoughts and they probably don’t want to eat the apples like the rest of us chumps. So they get a virgin centaur to pick them in an orchard blessed by Fertility and enchant them with preservation so they never sour. Totally worth it for some rich prick. But Santi, man, you’re barely scraping by. It’s pathetic really.” Nolan finished, doing his best to keep a grin from ruining his deadpan delivery.
“Well in that moment I was a rich prick, crunching on the best apple in the fief. Also I hope you know that I only keep you around to get hit by stuff. You’re an ass. If I could sell you I would.” Santi said.
“And do what with the money? Buy more apples?” Nolan said, his grin winning the battle and breaking out over his face.
Santiago let the topic drop with a grumble, vowing to watch Nolan like a hawk. If the big bastard stepped a toe out of line, he’d be ready for it. They were nearly at Peter’s bar though and the last thing he needed was the old innkeep hearing about his spending habits. So he worked on deciding how he should tell Samara about Nolan’s pitiful flirting with the apple merchant.
Peter’s bar was a humble affair, at first glance it was obviously family owned and run. None of the normal guild nonsense or fancy royal emblems that adorned most inns. They had a rickety sign with large faded lettering, and a poster threatening violence to bad customers, as was proper. If the sign had been legible it would have labeled the business “The Applestone Inn”, though Peter had sold the name to a guild tavern several years back, everyone just referring to the bar as Peter’s place afterwards.
Aside from the lackluster signage though the bar was homey. Santi and Nolan had lived in Applestone for several years before getting placed on assignment further out in the hamlets. Little had changed to the exterior save the seasons flowers and now considerably fatter cat that Santi recognized lounging in the window.
Nolan was the first to the door and Santi followed him through, a deep bellow greeting them from across the room at the bar.
“My most tooooolerable guildmen! Come grab a drink you sorry excuses for divers.” Peter yelled at them, his voice heavy with a thick northern accent. He was already shooing teenagers away from the bar to make space for them, as they approached, grinning like a child up to no good.
“Peter! How’s life in paradise treating you?” Nolan asked the innkeeper, giving the northerner a warriors handshake, the right hands clasped together and the left on your friend’s shoulder.
“Oh ya know. Just keeping up with the day to day. Loving life and having it piss on me in return!” Peter grinned up at him, before turning towards Santiago. Clasping hands with the smaller man.
“Looking good man, we’ve missed this place! Oh and how could I forget about the manager! I can see she’s doing well for herself.” Santiago said, gesturing at the fat tabby sauntering over. Mockingly patting his belly as he grinned at the cat.
“I outta piss on your grave when you finally croak.” A husky female voice came out of the cat’s mouth. The rest of the small group chuckling at the exchange.
“Oh now don’t let him get you going Samara, they only just got here! I won’t have you chasing them off!” Peter laughed, slapping two tankards of ale as Samara leapt up onto the bar. The cat flopped onto her side to yawning lazily and watching as Santiago and Nolan taking a literal load off before settling in and grabbing their drinks.
“Well don’t change plans for us, we’re just gonna be passing through. They’ve still got us working gate duty out in the hamlets. Gotta be back by tomorrow. We were just wanting to stop in and ask Samara for a cleanse, the capital has us all gunked up” Santiago said, reaching out and scratching Samara under the chin as he spoke.
Samara purred appreciatively at the scratches and closed her eyes. Knowing what was coming Santiago pulled his hand back as energy gathered around Samara, her hair rising to stand on end as small pricks of energy popped in and off her fur. Then with a casual flick of her tail a jolt of energy passed through Santiago and then Nolan.
It was like taking the world’s most electric shower. The energy moving up and down Santiago’s body like lighting as it eliminated every bit of dust and grime on his person. The whole process had taken less than five seconds, barely even interrupting their conversation as Santiago and Nolan shook off the magical residue.
“They’ve still got you running those stupid gates? It’s been three years don’t ya think it’s about time to ask for a promotion?” Peter exclaimed, slapping a dark bottle on the counter. “I’ll be honest it’s why I thought you were here. Shit bit o luck that.” Peter finished, frowning at the bottle he’d brought out.
“That’s actually what we came out here for, we’re headed back from the guild house.” Nolan paused for a moment as Peter raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth as if to say something, when nothing came he continued. “…We didn’t get any promotion though.”He continued, ”Not enough action at our gate they said. We’ve never really needed to stretch out in the hamlets and the guild doesn’t think we’ve sweat enough to earn our promotions.” Nolan gave a world weary sigh, and raised his mug to his lips as he finished.
Santiago took the opportunity to interject as he drank. “Which really is a load if you ask me. Most people quit out after a year at gate duty. We’ve gone three times the distance and they’re still telling us we need to give it more time. Once it’s all said and done and we get the go ahead Nolan’s gonna be too old to dive.” Santiago said, jostling the bigger man’s shoulder. Flashing a smile that didnt quite reach his eyes.
The four of them embraced the silence for a few moments. Santiago and Nolan enjoying the sensation of warmth that came from an Alemasters brew. The only one who stirred at all was Samara, who gave Peter an inquisitive glance. The innkeeper just polished a mug, not meeting the cat’s gaze as he stated at the bar top his thoughts seeming to have consumed him.
Nearly half a minute had passed before Peter looked up from the counter. “I’ll be honest with you lads, I thought you two showing was a gift from the Gods. I thought you were here to take over the dungeon.” Peter said, pausing to let out a heavy sigh before half heartedly slapping his towel onto the bar, wiping imaginary grime off the spotless counter. “The Gods forsaken guild is pulling out of town.” He said, driving a hand through his hair before bringing it down to pinch the bridge of his nose.
Their group went silent again and Santiago processed the information. The guild had been here for the better part of two decades. They, watched over the dungeon, ensured the villages safety, and sold everything they took out of the dungeon at a premium. There had always been animosity between the villagers and guildsmen but though those feelings were rarely expressed.
Santiago only knew of two reasons a guild would leave a town like this. Either the dungeon was crumbling and no longer put out monsters, which would be bad for town industry once the loot dried up. Or the dungeon had begun evolving and they would sell to a bigger guild. Though Peter had made it pretty obviously bad news, so he doubted it was that. Not to mention there was no way Peter or anyone in their right mind believed he and Nolan were capable of handling let alone surviving a second tier dungeon. So he resolved it could only be the first option.
“What’s bad about the guild moving out? You worried about losing customers?” Santiago asked.
“You don’t have all the information Santi.” Samara said, “The dungeon isn’t crumbling, but drying up. No more monster parts or dive gold. The guild is just running out of reasons to stay.”
“You guys will be fine though right? It’s not like the farmers are going anywhere. Are they?” Nolan asked, the bar top creaking as he leaned against it.
“No, no, no, the dungeon isn’t going anywhere. There’s just no more loot, adventurers keep going down and coming back with nothing. Recently they’ve hired dedicated scavenging teams and even they aren’t finding anything.” Peter said, pausing occasionally to sip at a cup of booze he poured himself.
“Wait so what about the gate? Another guilds not gonna step in?” Santiago asked, his brow furrowing as he listened.
“Nope, His Lordship put out an eviction notice. Unless another guild decides to lose money on Applestone and cull the monsters still spawning en masse inside, every soul that lives within the Applestone incursion zone will need to leave.”
“Well shit…” Nolan exhaled loudly, setting his ale down for the first time as he steadied himself against the bar top. “And you don’t have any freelance adventurers willing to stick around the area until the theme changes?” He asked.
“And pay them with what? All the business we’ve grown is gonna have to leave. Even if we manage to avoid the lords eviction Applestone won’t be anything more than a collection of farmers and a smith once the guild leaves, and that’s if we’re lucky.“
Silence descended upon the group once more as they pondered Applestone’s future. The spluttering fireplace overtaking the subdued conversations of a handful of other patrons. In only a few short minutes, the bar had lost all its shine and livery
The rest of the evening slowly devolved, as they distracted themselves. The four of them breathing new life into old jokes, and laughing over fresh stories. It was only till enough booze had flowed that everyone seemed to forget about the ax hanging over Applestone.
The friends cheered and smacked tankards against tankards as they spoke of new accomplishments. Peter having done the best amongst them, had finally convinced his wife to let him buy a diving sword. Though to the groups immense disappointment, his wife had neglected to let them play with it. So they laughed some more, teasing Peter and then his wife and then Peter again as she threatened to throw them out. Though after Nolan took a tankard to the head, courtesy of Peter’s wife, the friends made their wisest decision of night and made their way to their bedrooms. All save Peter, who would be sleeping behind the bar.
The following morning had come and gone with little fanfare. The four friends only slightly worse for the night of drinking. Santiago and Nolan leaving after a meager breakfast of bread and cheese and making their way back to the hamlets.