The boy started off like just about any adventurer—poor, ambitious, and hungry.
He craved the “true” riches in life: fine wine, fine food, and an even finer bed.
It was what he’d always dreamed of; visions of easy days and a full belly danced behind his eyes.
Those dreams kept him going through the cold nights and the hot days. The life of an urchin with no name or even a copper was not an easy one. Scraping enough money together to live was a daily grind.
When he thought of what might be waiting for him at the bottom of some long-forgotten dungeon, there was no amount of work that he wouldn't put in to make that dream reality.
He shoveled manure, he dove in ditches, he fetched things from the bottom of wells. Whatever put a few coppers in his hand was good enough for him. Every coin he earned that didn't go to his belly went to buying gear and supplies for a dive.
He scrimped and scraped for 5 years, before finally at the age of 15 he was old enough to get his Guild License. At last he had started his journey.
But dungeon diving isn’t for the faint of heart.
Not just anyone can survive the delve, though they try.
Every day, people young and old gamble their lives for a chance at the treasures hidden within those shadowed depths. Even knowing the odds are stacked against them.
And for a while, the boy wasn't sure he wouldn't become just another statistic.
He struggled.
He was neither the biggest nor the strongest. Not as quick with a blade as the others.
He wasn’t the most skilled fighter, nor was he graced with the raw aggression that made for a fearsome warrior.
What he was good with, it turns out, was people.
–0–
His fortunes changed the day he made his first friend. It was pure luck that he met someone in the upper floors of the dungeon who wasn't outright hostile to a solo newbie like him.
The stranger, Toki, had some nice loot from one of the lower floors and was looking to trade for some supplies.
The young adventurer, Rick, could have easily taken the trade and continued on, but something inside him craved a friendly interaction.
Instead of immediately accepting, he countered thusly:
Come share my fire, tell me about the lower floors, and I'll split my lunch with you.
The slender, older boy must have been as hungry for some human interaction as much as a hot meal, because he happily accepted. And as they found a good spot to make camp and start a fire the two got to talking. Turns out, Toki was a pretty Cool Guy.
Over a shared meal and a merry fire the two young adventurers forged a bond. Before they knew it the food was gone and the fire had guttered out, but neither one was in a hurry to make the good times stop. It seemed only natural to suggest that they party up for the rest of the dungeon.
The really surprising part was when Toki agreed. This guy was seriously too cool.
—0—--
Toki wasn't the first person that he tried to work with, but he was the first one who didn't treat him as dead weight just because of his age and size and general lack of ability.
Rick was the younger of the two, even if only by a year or two, and others he had met down here hadn't hesitated to establish the pecking order. With Rick invariably at the bottom of the pile.
Toki wasn't anything like that. The blue eyed, white haired boy was anything but intense or competitive. He was humble, and listened to advice with a soft smile.
‘If more people were as cool as this guy; the world would be a better place’ Rick thought to himself as they worked their way down into the bowels of the dungeon.
--0–
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They actually worked pretty well as a team, but that was mostly due to Toki’s willingness to take orders from someone weaker than him. And Rick was definitely the weaker of the two, considering the other boy's skills as a mage.
Between Toki's magic and Rick’s tenacity they managed to spear further down into the dark than either one ever had before
Together, they reached the bottom floor of the dungeon. The heavens must've been smiling upon their party’s unity because they lucked out beyond anything Rick had imagined.
The two were blessed. They had stumbled across a juvenile Monster Matriarch. This was probably the best chance two low level adventurers like themselves would ever have at taking down a Matriarch, before the creature developed into its full power.
After brainstorming some ideas, they set their plan into motion.
Rick went out as bait while the tall & skinny mage charged up their strongest spell. It was the longest four minutes of Rick's life. He ducked and dodged, dashing from cover to cover and running like his life depended on it.
Because it did.
Finally, after an eternity (240 seconds) the sun appeared at the bottom floor of the dungeon.
A huge conflagration blinked into existence near the ceiling of the chamber they were fighting in. It glowed like a star and after a moment it let off a lance of pure plasma straight through the matriarch's bulbous eye.
It was beautiful.
After he gathered his wits and found himself standing before Toki again, he couldn't keep the admiration out of his voice when he said:
“Y'know, you're a pretty cool guy Toki.” A street rat’s grin spread across Rick's face as he stretched his hand out to his only party member.
An amused, raised, white eyebrow was the response from Toki.
“...Guy?” was all she said.
Rick blinked as he processed that. Then: “Oh. I think you're even cooler now to be honest.”
–0–
They split the loot and made off like bandits.
There was a moment where they bickered over how to split. Toki wanted to do 50/50 but Rick insisted on a 70/30 split, seeing as how he never would have made it to the bottom without her.
To say nothing of slaying the Boss.
He was perfectly happy to take his 30%, seeing as how that would already net him more money than he had ever seen in his life.
From there they quickly worked their way back to the surface, avoiding those other adventurers they saw on their way down, wary of anyone who might try to claim their hard-earned prize.
When they got back up top to the dungeon entrance, it was sadly time to make their separate ways. Toki was going back home to Elvaldarim and Rick was going back to the town of Leredin where he was looking forward to finally buying a nice hot meal and a night in a really comfortable bed.
As they said their goodbyes, Toki had one last thing to say to him.
“If you're ever in the Capital feel free to come find me. Or give me a call at the Namrian Estate once you get a mirror. Whoever answers you, just tell them you're a friend of Toki’s”
She gave him another soft smile and it made him feel like they’d defeated the boss all over again.
“With this treasure, the first thing I'll do is buy a Communications Mirror and call you on it, I promise!” He said it with pure conviction, so when she giggled at him he didn't feel embarrassed, because he meant it.
And just like that, Rick made his first real connection.
A powerful Elven mage was someone he’d only imagined himself standing next to in his wildest dreams and yet, here now she called him friend.
From that moment, his world opened up. The money from the dungeon wasn't enough to make all his dreams come true, but it was enough to reinvent himself.
Enough to Change his life.
And he owed it all to a fateful encounter with a really cool adventurer. The only reason he was able to succeed was not the strength of his arms or the value of his gear. It was the relationship he had cultivated with Toki.
And as he realized this, he became enlightened.
–0–
One friend became two, two became five. Soon enough, five became a network—a network of adventurers perfectly suited to any job.
Where others sought riches at the bottom of a dark, damp cavern, he found them in a simple desk in the heart of a bustling village. Contracts and connections became his true treasure, and soon, he had made a name for himself as the man who could find anyone you needed to get the job done.
Though as a young lad he had pictured himself constantly delving and diving into ruins and all the Forgotten places under the Earth he now spent as much time in his office as he did at the training yard
Despite his success, the hunger never left him—that thirst for adventure.
That’s why he refused to let his skills rust, keeping up with his training as if waiting for the call to arms.
He even continued to take on quests now and again. Although of course when he did, he always came ready for anything with a stacked party.
–0–
And so the seasons passed and the lad grew. So too did his power and connections continue to increase alongside each other, a virtuous cycle.
Gone was the scrawny street urchin who had stumbled into town. In his place stood a young man—a man with a bit of wealth and, oddly, no one to share it with. His successes had made him a target, but not of monsters or rival adventurers.
No, the real predators lurked at the local markets and taverns, and he was totally unprepared to defend himself.
They were creatures with big eyes and soft voices, carrying the sweet scent of perfume and the promise of even softer touches. The boy—no, the young man—didn’t stand a chance against them. Especially when he reached a certain age
It was in one of the small, rickety rooms above an old two-story tavern, with creaking floorboards and threadbare blankets, that the boy truly became a young man.