Ratface found herself in the adventuring guilds training area with a bunch of other children in adventuring gear. She didn’t know if it was luck or fate but apparently today had been one of their adventurers’ experience days for the kids.

The were getting sent out on a mission appropriate for their experience, which was to say none, and were just waiting for the guild instructor to come out and give them said quest.

The guild itself gave her mixed feelings. The receptionist had been very professional for a group that Ratface associated the opposite expectations. She’d looked harried when she dealt with both the children and the adventurers and Ratface got the impression that her usual job and taking care of the children here were more similar than she’d admit.

Hearing Abigail’s request, she’d sent Ratface out to mingle with the other children while they did all the paperwork.

Ratface was glad she didn’t have to do that, but mingling with children wasn’t really her vibe either. She hadn’t been good at it at village meet-ups and that was with other goblins. This was with adventurers. Well, baby ones anyway.

She walked up to the biggest group. They were led by a wide shouldered boy with similar armour to her. He had some of that metal chest armour on that Abigail had mention to separate them though. His gear also didn’t look like it had been bought from a store but had been made just for him. In his group were a bunch of fawning children though two stood out; An archer girl with the kind of arm and back muscles that told Ratface she practiced, and a kid wearing a belt that was more knives than belt. He also was holding a spear which was confusion about what exactly he did.

The stopped talking as she came closer and gave her a once over. Ratface knew her illusion didn’t look impressive and tried not to think about the fact it was based off her own body.

“Hello, my name is Ratface,” she offered. She gestured to Halmir on her shoulder. “This is Halmir.”

The kids eyed the rat first and then Ratface. The boy sneered which wasn’t a great sign.

“You brought your pet with you? Are you even taking this seriously?” he asked. Ratface interjected to point out that Halmir had probably been in more fights than him, but he ran over her.

“Look at your gear as well, it’s so cheap.”

“I think it’s fine. If it does the job,” said Ratface. The boy shoved her, and she stumbled back a bit though not as much as she would have before her week away. Halmir hissed and tensed to jump. She hissed to stop him.

“No wonder she’s called Ratface. She even acts like a rat!” said the big boy. The other children laughed at her. She didn’t really get it. Rats were clever and dexterous and clean. The worst thing she could say about Halmir is he hadn’t let her eat him when she was hungry.

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“Get out of our faces rat girl,” said the big boy. He shoved her again. Ratface was tempted to set Halmir on him. She looked at the group around them and held back. She wasn’t stupid. A goblin struck when no one knew until it was too late.

She left the group, and their circle immediately closed back around shutting her out. Well, that hadn’t gone well.

Ratface wandered around until she spotted another outcast. A little girl in robes was sitting on her own. She had her hood firmly up so no one could see her. Ratface made her way over and sat next to her.

“I’m guessing your integration to the group didn’t go so hot either?” Ratface asked. The girl scribbled at the ground with her staff.

“I didn’t even try. Franklin already has it out for me.”“He’s the big one?”

“He’s the rich one,” the girl said, her tone bitter.

“Still, a mage at your age. Wouldn’t they want you?”

The girl waved her staff around and the area around them had a sudden growth of vegetation.

“Druid,” the girl explained to Ratface’s confused face. Ratface had heard about those. They were notable to goblins as one of the few types of adventurers that absolutely refused to kill them. Maybe that was why the other kids didn’t like her. Her esteem of the girl rose, and she held out her hand.

“Ratface and Halmir,” she said to the girl as Halmir clambered onto her hand. The girl gave Halmir a quick pat, then took Ratface’s hand.

“Tiffany,” she said.

The guild instructor took that opportunity to come out and join them. Ratface frowned when she saw the woman. She wore simple leather armour that made her seem almost boring and had two daggers strapped to her side. Ratface wasn’t close enough to smell it, but she bet if she was closer she’d get a whiff of different poisons from the other woman. A rogue. Alarm threated to overwhelm her, but she held it in as she watched them.

If knights were a terror to goblins, then rogues were the thing of their nightmares. At least with a knight if you managed drag them down to the mud then you could at least crack them open. With a rogue, you wouldn’t know a rogue had been in your midst until you noticed that your ‘sleeping’ group wasn’t breathing and then you’d feel your own throat seize up. Ratface hadn’t been on any such situation thankfully, but she’d met enough older goblins terrified of the profession that she’d learned to fear them by rumour alone.

“Would-be adventurers, welcome to the first day of the rest of your lives. Today we’ll be sending you on a time-honoured tradition for all first adventurers; the sewer clearing.” She smiled to herself and Ratface shuddered. “The sewers here haven’t been cleared for several months and so will be infested.” Her smile dropped and she cut her hands through the air. “Take this seriously. We will not be helping you and people can still die on this quest. Good hunting.”

With that the woman walked into the shade and faded away. Ratface wasn’t alone in looking around for the woman. That shouldn’t even be possible.

“That’s talent,” whispered Tiffany, “I don’t even know how you would do that.” Ratface didn’t really want to hear that from someone who could do magic. She’d have to ask Isabelle about it after.

The children had started forming into groups and it didn’t take a genius to understand that Ratface and Tiffany weren’t going to be put in anyone else’s group. She stood up and pulled Tiffany to her feet.

“Well, shall we work together?”

The other girl looked to her with surprise.

“You’re not worried I’ll be a burden.”

Ratface grinned.

“Worst comes to worst, you can hit them with that big stick of yours.”

Ratface followed the crowd. She was only half listening as the other girl explained why that was such a bad idea.