“What’th pana and thweet-thirn-root?” Karsten asked. He glanced up at Medoly, then stopped in his tracks, the spoon carrying the last of his food hovering in front of his mouth.
Medoly was looking at him as if he was crazy.
Karsten took a moment to think about what he could have done to warrant such a reaction, then mentally face-palmed as realization hit him.
Medoly had clearly stated that the meal she brought was ‘nothing too fancy’, which strongly implied that this 'pana' and 'sweet-cirn-root' were totally normal here.
Karsten realized then that from Medoly’s perspective he was a stranger that, out of nowhere, came staggering out of the woods in the middle of the night - covered in bloody grime and spouting nonsense the second he opened his mouth. He even vaguely recalled telling her he was from another world, which in retrospect might not have been the brightest of ideas... And now, that same man had apparently never even seen one of the most common foods in the region, something everyone probably grew up with and ate often, if not daily.
Looking at Medoly’s rapidly changing facial expressions, it seemed like she was thinking about the same things. Karsten quietly observed her rapidfire expressions for a few seconds to try and judge how he should salvage his image, when her expression took an unexpected turn. She looked… ashamed, he reckoned, then determined, then she looked at him as if she were looking at a pitiful child. Karsten decided to hold his tounge for now.
Then, sounding like a mother taking her child to their first day of school, she spoke.
“I am now going to bring you to a place where you can get what you need to get started in this city. In this place, you will learn how to make money, which is something you need to know to be able to take care of yourself. You might even make some friends! Doesn’t that sound nice? Are you okay with that?”
Karsten felt as if there must have been a majour misunderstanding somewhere along her line of thinking, but got the impression that if he tried to correct her now, he'd only make a bigger fool of himself. Therefore, he simply decided to ignore the matter entirely and just go with the flow - hoping that in time she would come to realize that he was, in fact, a perfectly normal individual. Because he was. Obviously.
~-~
Karsten tried to keep himself from gawking at everything like an over-excited tourist, but everything from the medieval-style architecture to the many species of people who were walking around the buzzing market district screamed 'fantasy world'; so much so that he couldn't stop himself from giving every little thing a second look. Stalls that sold alien fruits, pastries that smelled like alien-heaven and an utterly supurfluous diversity of other foods - they all filled his nose with promise, and he kept having to reorient himself so he wouldn't lose Medoly in the crowd.
They’d left the Ranger's house some time ago. To enter the city, they had to pass through a truly, stupendously huge wall. The sheer scale of it was so entirely unnecessary that Karsten couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of continent-spanning group of masons would be required to muscle all those stone bricks into place. He reckoned there likely was a whole mountain’s worth of rock put into the thing.
The same could not be said for the gate in front of them, however. The entrance itself was entirely understated, almost camuflaged by the foliage outside it. It was a veritable tunnel with a comparitively low roof, though it was more than large enough so someone of Karstens average height could walk through comfortably. But the depth of it spoke volumes of the wall it was built into.
“If it’s such a densely populated city, why were there only a dozen or so people at the gate?” Karsten asked as they walked though the market district.
“Oh, that’s because the gate closest to my house is one of the ones that see the least amount of traffic, as it is farthest away from both of the two main entrances. The main entrances are called Nihle gate and the Kernst gate, located at the south-west side and north-east side respectively. The main road goes from one gate to the other in an almost straight line. The gate we just walked through, the Ballans gate, is at the south eastern point, about 300 meters from the main south-eastern gate called the Helis gate. Basically, most people just use the main gates, even if they have to walk farther to get there, and if they do come all the way out here, they'll likely just use the Helis gate. The only people who use the Ballans gate are those that live nearby, so my family - the Kerdans, and a handful of other families”
Karsten drew out a mental map of the city as she explained. “Why do most people go out of their way to use the main gates, even if there's a closer gate?” Medoly shrugged. “They’re pretty scenic.” Karsten chuckled. “Well, I'll have to check that out, then, won't I?" Medoly nodded. "Absolutely!"
Another few minutes went by as the two walked in the so-called 'spesial place's general direction. Karsten was utterly thralled by the scene around him, so much so that he didn't notice he was holding up the line in front of an 'alien fruit' stall.
“Excuse me?” As Karsten contemplated the fruits that looked like what he imagined the forbidden fruit of Eden looked like, the voice snapped him back to reality, and he turned to see the source of the voice. He then blanched as the source turned out to be a gigantic bird monster. “WHA-" He snapped his hand out so fast he even surprized himself, and slapped the monster on the beak.
"..."
The giant, white-feathered and eagle-like monster's eyes widened, and it stood there for a few moments, clearly surprized by Karsten's speed as well. At least that's what Karsten assumed it was surprized by. He turned around to run, when he noticed something odd. The people surrounding him weren't running away from the bird monster, but were all standing still, looking disbelievingly at him.
Karsten looked back to the bird monster and squinted his eyes at it. As he was doing so, the 'bird monster' turned his head back to him.
"...Excuse me?" It said again, and it was only now that Karsten understood what he had done.
"Uh... I'm sorry? Haha, OW-" Medoly, breaching through the veritable wall of people that were surrounding Karsten and the bird man, took hold of Karsten's ear and mercilessly dragged him away from the crowd.
"What were you thinking!? That's an Aaracocra! They're super proud! He would've killed you, you absolute idiot! Haaaa, I swear..."
Karsten scratched the back of his head. "Sorry... It's just, were I'm from, ther're only humans, so when I saw a huge bird monst- eh, man, or woman?" Medoly scowled at him. "Man! Man, definetly man. When I saw him, I just kinda acted on instinct. Sorry."
Medoly sighed and shook her head. "I guess it's fine, but don't do that again. There are many more that look more unhuman-like than him, so keep that in mind." Karsten nodded resolutely.
~-~
The rest of the walk to the mysterious 'special place' that would ‘help him make money’ and where he might 'meet some friends' was spent at a leisurely pace, talking with Medoly.
The Ranger would point out good restaurants, or places you could get affordable ‘beginner gear’, as she referred to it. Medoly always talked slowly, and she (almost) never raised her voice, which honestly made Karsten feel a bit awkward. It seemed the misunderstanding was still living strong.
In the end, though, he defaulted to ignoring the problem and just focused on her explanations. Intermittently, he'd ask random questions with honest curiosity, not caring how others would turn their heads and glance at him after overhearing questions like ‘Do you guys have buffets here?’ and ‘What are the days of the week called? Do you even have weeks? What's your calender like? Do you even have-’. They’d look at him as if he was an idiot, only to notice the two obvious signs of trauma to his head and turn back to what they were doing, some with a sigh, some with a scoff.
After an hour long tour of the south-eastern part of the city, they reached what the residents called the ‘Wolf’ district. Apparently, this was because it was filled with ‘wolves’, whatever that meant, but it's official name was The Administrative District. This place was where the Council made all the important, city-spanning decisions.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
What intrigued Karsten, however, was that the intense crowd that filled the large, oval-shaped city square was almost exclusively gravitating towards a single building. The building was a third larger than the one where the Council gathered, and had a huge sign with bold, red, letters that could be read with ease, even standing at the opposite side of the square as Karsten and Medoly were.
ADVENTURER’S GUILD OFFICE
Karstens eyes lit up. “There’s an Adventurer’s Guild!!? Hahaha, yes!” Medoly chuckled. “Have you heard of it before? Do you have it 'where you're from'?” Karsten forced himself to calm down and answered. “Oh, yeah. I mean, no, but I know what it is, I think.”
Medoly smiled.“Good! Then let’s quickly get going so we can get to the end of the line before nightfall!”
Moving across the square, the two soon claimed their place in the long, long line of people that stood before the building's entrance and resumed their conversation.
~-~
Another hour later, the pair walked through the open double-doors of the Adventurer’s Guild Office. The place was packed with people of all species. Most were humans, but there was also a healthy mix of other species Karsten had never seen before, or only glimpsed in line. There was a titan of a woman leaning on a wodden pillar in the room, talking to a petite tiefling and a dwarf. Many such scenes could be seen throughout the lobby, and it filled the atmosphere with a lively level of noise. Karsten could practically hear D&D Tavern music playing in the background.
After another half hour wait, they finally stepped up to one of the desks where a gnome receptionist was seated. She looked up at the two, and bowed her head slightly with a bright and friendly smile on her face, “Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild! Would you like to register, turn in an assignment, or do you have questions about the assignment you’re currently on?”
“Register, please.” Medoly answered.
“Wonderful,” the receptionist cheerfully replied. “Will both of you be joining us today?” “No, ma'am, only my cousin here.” Medoly said and gestured at Karsten. “Okie, dokie!” The gnome opened a drawer in the desk and brought out a small stack of papers. She laid it on her desk and readied her pen. “What's your name, sweetheart?” She asked, looking to Karsten.
“My name is Karsten Myhr Kerdan.”
To avoid suspicion, Medoly had come up with a fabricated identity and backstory for Karsten. His first name would be Karsten, obviously. His last name, Myhr, would become his middle name and his last name would be Medoly's family name, Kerdan. He was her third cousin that came from a medium-sized town called Golpuse that lay far to the north, near the border to the northern half of the continent. Thirsting for adventure after getting bored of his job building houses, he left his hometown to come here, the bustling city of Cedersk, to seek his fortune, and his cousin, Medoly, whas now helping her distant family member get settled.
“Mhm…” The receptionist jotted it down on the page after asking him to spell it out for her.
“Age?”
“25.”
“Mhm… race is human, right? I ask because you can never be too sure these days, ha-ha-ha!”
“Haha, I believe so...”
“Alright… And Class?”
"Ah... Well, about that-"
At this point, Medoly interjected. “I don't think he's chosen his class yet. I was thinking of getting that done tomorrow, though. Is that okay?”
The lively gnome gave a bubbly giggle. “Yes, of course, dear! It's actually rather common for people who come to register. I’ll just leave it as pending for now, and then Mr. Kerdan here can swing by tomorrow and tell me what he chose.”
“Thank you.” Medoly replied with a nod.
“No problem, deary. Last, are there any special quirks we should know about?”
Medoly looked at Karsten as if unsure what to say, but after a couple seconds of hesitation, she whispered to the receptionist.
“He is, uh, a little challenged.”
Karsten choked.
“But!” She followed up, “He can hold a conversation just fine, he can think for himself and I don't think he has any physical disabilities." She thumped her fist against her chest in an effort to look credible. "I believe he has what it takes to be a most upright Adventurer! He just needs some guidance, that's all!”
The gnome receptionist gave Karsten a scrutinizing glance. “Well… Technically it’s against Guild policy to allow someone with… challenges to join… Or, well, not anymore though, I suppose...but still... Hm… Oh, alright, I’ll let him through. But he’ll need to wear a specialized Guild token, and he won’t be able to do any assignments above his level, party or not, alright? And he'll need a Guardian.” Medoly’s face lit up, “Thank you! And of course - I wouldn’t want to place my cousin in any dangerous situations. Isn’t that great, Karsten!”
Karsten felt the already abysmal level of control he had over his situation, which was namely zero, as well as his dignity, which was already rather close to zero after last nights muddy adventure, fly away with the wind. He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation he found himself in, but suppressed it into a thin, lop-sided smile. His eyebrows still quivered uncontrollably, though.
“Yup!”
The gnome grinned. “Splendid! Now, if you’ll just wait a moment…” The gnome receptionist left her chair and skitted through the door that led to the back room, returning a couple minutes later with something in her hand. “Here you go, your token. I’ve engraved Medoly’s name and address at the back of the token as a safety measure.” She held the small, round token in the palm of her hand, back facing up. There were tiny letters engraved on the surface: ‘KARSTEN M. KERDAN. IF FOUND, RETURN TO: MEDOLY H. KERDAN, BALLANS AIR-DISTRICT, HOUSE NR. 4. CERDANSK, CAMARILLON’. “If you ever get lost and confused, or otherwise incapacitated, you can hand this to another adventurer, and they will be legally obligated to help lead you to either the closest Adventurer’s Guild office, an Adventurer’s Guild official. Or, of course, back to lovely Miss Medoly here.”
The receptionist then turned the token so the front faced up.
To Karsten's Earthen eyes, The token was a brass-colored, miniature version of the Captain America shield, except that the star in the middle was different. It was a large, tacky, gold-coloured star that was specked with glitter. “And this is the special token for our new, special star!” The gnome said cheerfully as she reached out the token for Karsten to take.
Karsten stared at the token with a complex expression for a time, looking like there was a lot he wanted to say. The edges of his already lop-sided smile quivered.
Seeing his inaction, Medoly swiftly picked up the token. She then lifted Karstens arm, placed the token into the palm of his hand and closed his fingers around it. “There! Now, it is very important that you keep this visible on your person at all times. It could save your life some day!” The receptionist said as Medoly let go of his arm.
“Yup,” Karsten nodded absentmindedly.
“Poor fellow. Well, anyhow, now that that’s all settled, would you perhaps like to pick your first quest? Or will that wait until after you’ve chosen your class?”
Medoly looked at Karstens unchanging unresponsiveness, then around at the ceiling while she thought. Eventually, she reached her decision. “Well, obviously the final call is Karsten’s, but I think it would be wise to bring a few quest sheets with us so we know what’s available. Then we can talk it over and apply for one when we go to finalize the registration tomorrow. What do you think, Karsten?”
Resigning himself to his fate, Karsten shrugged and fastened the token to the middle of the collar of his shirt. “I think that sounds lovely, Medoly.”
~-~
They swiftly left the desk so they wouldn't hold up the line longer than they already had, and made their way back to the square. They found an empty bench next to a fountain close to the edge of the square and sat down.
“Okay! Now you’re officially an Adventurer! How do you feel? Do you feel any different?” Karsten looked at the pin, then at Medoly. “I feel like I have an interesting life ahead of me.” Medoly chuckled. “Yeah, well, you do have an interesting life ahead of you! Having an interesting life is the one thing all Adventurers have in common, after all.”
They sat in silence for a while, watching the crowd as it ebbed and flowed.
“You know,” Medoly mused, breaking the silence, “Apart from leading interesting lives, Adventurers also live dangerous lives. Proper dangerous. One of the most common reasons behind an Adventurer's death is that they choose a quest that is over their skill-level. I know the Guild already gave you a restriction for what kinds of quests you can choose, but still, can you promise me you won’t do any over your level?”
Karsten nodded and offered his pinky to her. “I wouldn’t want the good will you’ve shown me up until now to go to waste, so of course, I promise.”
Medoly looked at his outstretched pinky in confusion. Karsten sighed and made a show of hooking his two pinkies together and shaking. “It’s a gesture from where I come from. It means ‘I promise’”
Medoly hid a smile and reached out her pinky, hooking it with his.
Karsten shook his hand and nodded. “Good! Now, if I ever break the promise, I’ll be sentenced to Hell, my heart will be pierced by daggers numbering ten and my mother and father will die,” he said casually as he resumed observing the passing crowd.
Medoly blanched. ‘What kind of place did this guy grow up in…?’