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image [https://cdn.midjourney.com/2ad7870e-7fc6-4f4b-8d7e-bd5e01bc2d09/0_0.png]
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The hall had a lived-in warmth that Seamus was quickly growing fond of. The crackling fire in the hearth, the low murmur of conversation, of the scent of roasted coffee and fresh bread from the bar—it was comforting in a way that was hard to explain. There was a familiarity. The warming brew was like coffee, it had the same bitter edge to it, but he knew it was different. Something else entirely had been roasted, ground and drip-filtered into his mug. And besides that, there was the source of the comforting backtrack itself. This wasn’t a coffee shop, Seamus was determined to remind himself.
Adventurers came and went, the doors barely swinging shut before another clattering of boots and gear made its way through the hall and on up the stairs, or into one of the many rooms which opened onto the central corridor. Maps and curious instruments of all kinds were strewn across the long wooden tables. But despite the urgency, the distinct purposefulness which permeated the air, the low, persistent rumbling of laughter from the bar in the corner provided an adequate counterbalance.
He sat by the fire, cradling a mug of the oddly familiar brew in his hands, letting the warmth seep into his fingers and its revitalizing energies into his very core. It was nice to stop for a moment, to breathe in the steady hum of Hearthhaven.
His newly crafted sword hung at his hip, a reminder of yesterday’s accomplishments. It wasn’t much, he didn’t need Vex to tell him that—a simple iron short sword—but it was his, and Brigid had understood that. He traced his thumb around an ear of the boar’s head he’d chiseled and filed into the iron pommel and smiled to himself.
A quiet clink drew his attention, and he looked up as Kara approached. She’d obviously been out early, and there was a light dusting of frost on her shoulders from the chill morning air. She dropped into the chair across from him, her expression as unreadable as ever.
"Beric’s ready to see you," she said, nodding toward the back of the hall.
Seamus glanced toward the small door she’d gestured to, a gentle pang of nerves hitting him. He set the mug down and stood, stretching out the stiffness from his long day at the forge. "Do you know what he wants?"
Kara shrugged, though her eyes hinted at something more. "Probably has a quest for you. Something to prove you’re serious about committing to Hearthhaven."
Seamus raised an eyebrow but didn’t push her for more. He followed her through the guild hall, passing groups of explorers hunched over their maps, town officials sharing quiet conversations by the fire. This place had its own rhythm—people coming and going, preparing for the next task, the next step. This idea of progression was beginning to feel intimately familiar. He recalled the dopamine rush he’d felt after snaring the boar and smithing the blade - the shocking rapidity with which he’d picked up the techniques necessary to do so. A bright feeling pulsed through his flesh at the thought of it.
They reached Beric’s office at the back of the hall, the door slightly ajar. Kara gave it a light tap before pushing it open, leading Seamus inside.
The room smelled faintly of parchment and leather. Beric sat behind a large wooden desk, poring over a large hand drawn map with countless annotations, quill still in his hand. The glow from a nearby lamp cast long shadows across the walls.
"Come in, come in" Beric said, not looking up from the map.
Kara stepped aside as Seamus moved forward. Beric finally glanced up, his eyes flicking briefly to the sword at Seamus’s hip.
"I hear you’ve been busy," Beric said, leaning back in his chair. His voice had a weight to it, though it was always warm. "Brigid’s very impressed with your work, you know."
Seamus rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little awkward under the praise. "I’m still figuring it all out."
"Well, that’s how we all start out." Beric gave a small nod, "but you’re not just here to craft. You’ll need to learn how to take those skills and apply them outside the forge, for the betterment of the community. The barracks are already overstocked, and the sentinels haven’t seen any action in a quite some time. No, we’ll have to find more uses than smithing alone for your particular talents, Mr Callahan.”
Seamus shifted slightly, how had he known his name.
"Outside?" Seamus repeated.
Beric stood and crossed to a shelf, pulling down a worn piece of parchment. He unrolled it across the desk, revealing a different map, this one detailing the caves and tunnels that stretched beyond and beneath Hearthhaven. His finger tapped a spot near the edge of the map, where a line descended deep into the earth.
"We’ve got an old lift here. It should be bringing materials up from the lower levels, but it’s been out of commission for weeks now." He glanced at Seamus. "Your first guild quest is to fix it." He handed him a small note, folded and sealed in a deep amber wax imprinted with the seal of the guild: a roaring fire. He felt a surge run through his forearms as he broke it.
New Quest: Repair the Transportation Lift East of Hearthhaven.
Seamus blinked, surprised. "A lift?"
"It’s not so complicated, but it’ll get you out into the field," Beric said, folding his arms. "Oh, and you’ll be needing some tools.”
Item Acquired: Mechanical Repair Kit
“It’ll take a bit of problem-solving, but nothing you can’t handle, from what Kara and Brigid have let on"
Seamus flushed and looked down at the map, the anticipation of this next task sinking in. It wasn’t combat—hopefully—but it wasn’t exactly what he’d expected either. He’d assumed his first guild quest would be something small, something close to town. This felt… exposed.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"It’s safe," Kara said from the doorway, as though sensing his discomfort. "There haven’t been any hostile creatures in this part of the Hearthlands as long as I’ve been here. It’ll just be you and the lift."
Seamus glanced between them, then back at the map. "Alright," he said, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. "I’ll do it."
Beric smiled, rolling the map back up. "Good. This is your first real step, Seamus. Let’s see how you handle it."
Kara pushed the door open wider, signaling the end of the meeting. "I’ll be nearby if you need anything," she said, a slight grin tugging at her lips. "But this one’s on you."
Seamus nodded, stepping back into the hall. As the door closed behind him, he let out a breath, feeling the weight of the task settle on his shoulders. It was small, a simple repair job. But it was the tunnels. And he couldn’t shift the memory of that skeletal guardian with the stone blade. What if there were more of those…insects? He glanced down at the folded map in his hand, tracing the lines that led into the tunnels beyond Hearthhaven.
The quiet weight of The Hollows, ever present above the thatched roofs of the town, loomed a little larger now.
"You’re overthinking it, you know" Kara said, her voice cutting through his thoughts. She stood near the door, arms crossed.
Startled, he shook his head with a chuckle. "Is it that obvious?"
She laughed, pushing off from the wall. "It’s a simple job. And anyway, you won’t actually be alone."
Seamus raised an eyebrow. "You’re coming?"
Kara shrugged, already pulling her bow over her shoulder and tightening the strap of her quiver. "Beric doesn’t expect you to go out there alone on your first task. What if the boar get you? No, but seriously, without combat experience I’d feel better sticking around. Just in case." She glanced at his sword. "Saying that, maybe you don’t require any assistance.”
Seamus felt a wave of relief, though he tried not to show it too much. "I’m not sure how much help I’d be in a fight."
Kara smiled as she headed toward the entrance, her steps light and confident. "Well, let’s hope we don’t have to find out."
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The entrance to the tunnel in question lay about 20 minutes from the edge of town, cloven into the hillside like an old scar. The path leading there was well-trodden enough, but the ease of the town had shed the minute he’d crossed the boundary wall. Visibility was low, the light diffused through a white-grey mist. A faint chill clung to the air, and the trees lining the path rustled softly in the breeze.
Kara led the way, her movements as smooth and effortless as ever. Seamus followed, the weight of his sword bumping lightly against his leg with each step. His fingers flexed and unflexed at his sides, nerves creeping in as they approached the sheer wall of rock.
As they neared, the faint sound of water dripping echoed from deep within the cave, mingling with low hum of activity from a nearby farmstead. The lantern at the mouth of the tunnel flickered as they passed.
Kara glanced back at Seamus as they entered the tunnel. "Stay close. The lift isn’t far, but the further you go in these places, the more disorienting it gets."
Seamus nodded, remembering the Spawning Grounds as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. The walls were rough, carved out long ago by... well he wasn’t sure, and the ground beneath them was uneven, covered in loose stones and patches of damp moss. The air felt heavier here, cooler, and with each step, the sounds of country life faded, leaving only the steady rhythm of their footsteps.
Kara led them through the first stretch of the tunnel in silence, her bow resting casually at her side. Seamus could see the faint glow of a lantern up ahead, marking the first junction in the tunnels—a place where several paths diverged, leading off deeper into The Hollows.
As they reached the junction, Seamus glanced around. "How do you keep track of where you’re going down here?"
Kara smiled, kicking a faint line etched into the stone near the base of the wall. "Old trick. You follow the markings—most of the tunnels in the Hearthlands are marked with them. It’s easy to get lost if you’re not paying attention, but the deeper sections are even more... complicated."
Seamus crouched to examine the lines, their faint scratches barely visible in the dim light. They were subtle, easy to miss if you weren’t looking for them. It was yet another reminder of how different this world was from what he knew. Back home, everything was clear-cut, labeled, and mapped. Here, survival meant learning the land, understanding and responding to its signs.
Kara straightened, nodding toward a smaller tunnel off to the right. "This way. The lift’s just down here."
Seamus stood and followed her into the narrower passage, the walls closing in slightly. The air grew cooler still, and the flickering lantern light from the junction behind them diminished slowly. Kara’s footsteps remained steady while Seamus’s thoughts drifted to the lift itself. He’d never repaired anything like a lift before. But for some reason, he wasn’t daunted. Something told him he’d know what to do when he saw it.
After a few more minutes of walking, the tunnel widened into a small chamber. In the center stood the lift—an old, wooden platform attached to a pulley system that disappeared into the darkness above.
Kara stepped forward, inspecting the area with a quick glance. "Well, here it is. Doesn’t look too bad, but it’s been out of commission for a while."
Seamus nodded, his eyes tracing the mechanics of the lift. He immediately understood what the problem was—the gears were jammed, likely from a buildup of dirt, and the ropes had seen better days. It wasn’t anything too complicated, but it would take a bit of time to get it back in working order.
"I’ll get started," Seamus said, rolling up his sleeves and pulling a small set of tools from his pack. The weight of the tools in his hands calmed him, something in him responded to them, as though this was his element. It was his element.
He knelt by the base of the lift, inspecting the gears more closely.
Kara paced the edge of the chamber, keeping an eye on the tunnel entrance. "Take your time," she said, her tone relaxed. "I’ll keep watch."
Seamus worked quietly, his hands moving with practiced ease as he loosened the jammed gears and cleared away the grime. The lift’s mechanisms were old, but the craftsmanship was solid. He could see the thought that had gone into its design, the careful balance of weight and movement. It was almost like working at the forge, the coaxing of something into what it was meant to be.
Time passed in the quiet, broken only by the soft sound of metal scraping against metal as Seamus adjusted the gears. The ropes needed replacing, but he had none, and it could wait. For now, he could at least get the lift operational again.
"There," he muttered to himself, tightening the final bolt. "That should do it."
He stood, wiping his hands on his trousers, and gave the lift’s pulley a gentle tug. The gears clicked into place, and the platform jerked before settling into a smooth, slow rise. It wasn’t perfect, but it would work for now.
"Fixed?" Kara asked, glancing over her shoulder as she paced the far side of the chamber.
Seamus nodded. "Should be good for a while. The ropes might cause some issues down the line, but they’ll last. I’ll let Beric know."
Kara gave him a satisfied nod, moving toward the lift to inspect his work. "That was quick, not bad for your first assignment." She reached out and gave the platform a gentle push, watching as it moved smoothly along the pulley.
Seamus couldn’t help but feel a small swell of pride. It wasn’t a grand task, but it was his first tangible step into the community, and it felt good to have repaired something vital with his own hands.
As they walked back through the tunnels, Seamus felt lighter. The task had been simple, but it had shown him something important—that he could handle this world, one step at a time. And with Kara’s quiet presence beside him, the unknown didn’t feel quite so daunting.