The smell of alcohol was potent on this man. He wore a thick leather jacket that looked like it came down to his feet. He had gauntlets that seemed impeccably crafted on each of his hands. Complete with greaves that matched. A strange monocle covered his right eye as the other one gazed into the bottle he was about to finish.

“What do you want boy?” came his gritty voice.

Not saying anything I continued to stare at him.

“Another one come to see an old man drink his sorrows away. Wondering how long it’ll be before I run out of money and starve to death. Well, I got news for you boy. I’ll be dead in a few days. I ain't got no money and I ain’t got no food. I might find something here in this pile, but I probably won’t eat it. Cause I’m not hungry either. Now piss off would yah?” he said in response to my silence.

“Are your arms, legs, and right eye mechanical?” I finally said to him.

A look of shock came across his face for a moment then he gave me an appraising look.

“Seems there’s someone of some talent around here after all. Yes, my limbs aren’t my own. If you really must know. They were takin by the third lord here. You look to be new to the area. So, I’ll give you some free advice. The lord of Twilight is the real ruler here. He runs a gang calling themselves The Eclipse. Stay away from them if you know what’s good for yah.” he said choking down another bottle of whatever it was he was drinking.

Behind me came a new voice, “Now that’s not very nice. Spreading rumors like that. Even when I came to deliver you some good news.”

I turned around to see a man dressed in fancy robes made of long red silk with depictions of solar and lunar eclipses on it. He was clean shaven with striking features and long black hair pulled back into a tail. Some guards flanked him on either side, hands hovering above their weapons. He only glanced at me for a moment before returning his gaze back to the drunken dwarf.

With a genuine smile he said, “We found her a few days ago and my scouts just returned to inform me that she’s been dealt with. She did manage to kill a few of them but in the end, it would seem that she was all bravado. Now your debt to me is clear. You can go back to doing whatever it is you do in your free time.”

Then the man turned around and started walking away.

I heard a roar come from the drunkard and when I looked in his direction, he was already more than halfway to the noble. Turning around just in time to catch a bottle smashing into his face. The noble howled in pain and furry.

“I’ll come back from the grave as many times as it takes to hunt you down and take your head.” the dwarf said just before one of the noble’s guards lopped off his head.

Still in pain and holding his face the noble kicked the dwarf, “You! You, worthless trash! How dare you scar my perfect face! Look at you now. Dead. Just like your precious daughter.” continuing to kick the man he said, “I offered you presents a perfect life. Only asking for one thing in return. But you spat in my face. Well, look who’s laughing now you piece of shit!”

Without even acknowledging my presence the man gave the corpse one more heavy kick, turned, and walked away. His guards seeing their lord pay me no mind and me not drawing interfering. They put away their weapons quickly, catching up to guard their master. Leaving the ally in silence.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Stunned by the scene I was just witness to. I mean sure the old man was definitely not going to be ok after assaulting what was clearly a lord. I didn’t however expect to see the man get executed right in front of me. I’m sure the lord has access to some kind of healing magic and his face won’t be scared for life but thinking back on how strongly he reacted. Maybe he didn’t.

Who knows? With nobody around I scanned his body and snatched up and isolated the man’s soul. I got to my feet and made my way back to where I was supposed to meet Whisper and Pan. I didn’t even realize I’d fallen. During my walk back I noticed that I was being watched from the shadows.

It goes without saying that after wondering the city for the first time, I found myself lost. Wandering around the streets looking for signs pointing me to the main road or familiar landmarks to help me find my way. Of course, neither of those things happened. It took me several hours of navigating to eventually find a road that looked somewhat familiar.

As I was about to step out onto a larger road, I noticed a building with glass windows and a signpost above the door scrawled in giant silver letters saying, “Adventurers Guild”.

I froze. I didn’t even continue with my second step as I gazed at the sign. I noticed a flier sticking to the inside of one of the windows.

It said, “Beyond these doors awaits a world full of mystery, a land of gold and glory, a place where strangers become friends, and a home for those who love the thrill of adventure. Join us and see what stories the bards will tell of you!”

I didn’t even realize that I’d walked in after reading the flier. The inside of the building wasn’t what I was expecting to see. A rather organized room with a counter in the back with a letter organizer behind it. Between them stood an average looking woman dressed in butler attire looking over some paperwork. A set of stairs went up beside her and another set went down on her other side. Then there was a door off to the side that led to another part of the building.

The woman at the counter called out to me, “One moment please, I’ll be with you soon. I just have to finish this request and I'll be right with you. Please feel free to take a seat and relax until I arrive.”

I chose a leather sofa that practically consumed my body, it was so soft. As I waited, I noticed a few people walking in and out of the side door. Each time it opened a loud ruckus could be heard and the music was in full swing. The people coming and going fit the image of “Adventurer”. Each with their own set of what looked like unique equipment and styles. Mages, Warriors, Archers, Rogues, and Bards. Like a lot of bards. Why are there so many bards?

While I was pondering on that the woman from the counter sat down on the sofa on the other side of me. She was dressed as I explained before but the addition, I noticed was she wore a knee length skirt and expertly polished shoes. It would appear that this woman was all business.

“Hello sir, my name is Amelia, and I am the clerk of this branch. What business do you for the adventure’s guild today?” she said with a courteous nod and a welcoming smile.

“Uh, Hi. My name is Savas, and I wanted to become and adventurer.” I managed to stumble out.

Chuckling Amelia said, “I noticed you staring at the flier in the window for quite a while before coming in. So, pardon me for assuming that to be the case. I brought all the necessary paperwork with me for you to fill out. But before that, I need to go over how the system works. Is that ok with you?”, With a nod from me she continued, “Excellent. First, after you fill out your paperwork. You’ll be given an exam to determine your combat strength and after you are rated for combat, you’ll be given a rank. Each rank determines the level of quest you qualify to accept. The ranks go from G, F, E, D, C, B, A, and finally S. You’ll be given a magic item that denotes your skill set and rank. This serves an identification which is accepted by most countries if you’re required to provide such things. Once you have your rank and have selected a quest you will give me the details of the quest you wish to undertake. I note that you have accepted it and off you go. Once you’ve completed the quest return to me or any other branch and you’ll be rewarded with the promised pay for the quest. If you fail a quest the reward balance will be docked from any future quest you undertake. If you abandon the quest, determining that it is more difficult than noted, you will not be penalized. Any questions so far?”

I told her that I understood what she said, and she finished her explanation in short order. Once she was done, I filled out the paperwork and returned it to her. She looked it over and gave it a few quizzical looks before stamping it and placing it in an engraved box that flashed for a moment.