**
-Jagged Town-
Makani had just escaped from his cage that he was being kept in while in the slavery auction market. Right beside him is a girl named Lele whom he had broken free from the slavery auction market. At the very moment Makani and Lele are running for their lives as well as for their freedom. As they both run their way to freedom, Makani had been thinking about how cruel the world really is. Hours ago he experienced first hand how humans are treated outside of Akau Kingdom.
Seeing the cruelty that occurred in the slavery auction house made him want to do something about all of it. But at the moment he needs to focus on the task at hand; escaping his pursuers. Since Makani lost his DS ring he has nothing that can help him defend himself from the mob of goblins chasing them. Even his faithful Onion Golem, Pohaku is nowhere to be found.
Makani could fight goblins in pursuit of them, but the problem was there are way too many of them and he might not be able to defend his new companion Lele.
While the two continued their way away from the slavery auction market, the screams of the mob of goblins echoed through out Jagged town.
"Run away slaves!"
"Get them!"
"The human with the scar on his back is valuable! So don't injure him!"
At moment everything was going as Makani planned. While he was in the cage trying to figure out how to break free, he was also figuring out how to escape. The first thing he wanted to do was find out exactly where he was so that he can some how return to the cave of moss. Since Makani was brought to Jagged town by a overgrown lizard named Gin while unconscious, the location he's currently at was unknown to him.
Makani decided that they'll both try to head to higher ground so he could have some idea where their current location is. As they ran out of the town and into the rocky hills, Makani began to feel weak and nauseous. He's had the sickly feeling after using [Earth Manipulation ability] multiple times.
Makani felt strange feeling so sickly after using the ability multiple times because he remembered when he was in Pea town in the Inn. He was practically using the ability for hours. It annoyed him and at the same time made him curious why such things happened.
But at the mean time while the they continued to run from the goblins, Makani felt like vomiting. Makani could taste he sour taste of his stomach acid as he made a face. Lele, the girl who Makani released from one of the cages, looked at Makani with a worried face.
"Are you okay?"
Even though he felt pretty much like dung, Makani smiled at Lele.
"I'll manage. Let's go, we don't want to get caught."
As the two continued their way to higher ground. The mob of goblins sighted them from a far.
"It's them!"
"You won't get away!"
Makani and Lele could see the goblin with the top hat from a far screaming.
"GET THEM!"
As they head their way to higher grounds, they found themselves at an area where there was nowhere to go and there was nothing in their path but a wall of stone. The timing of such unfortunate situation couldn't have been worst. Makani couldn't help but curse as he tries to think of a way to get out of their situation.
Makani looked up to see how high the wall is in front of them. Judging from the height there's no way that they'll be able to climb up the smooth surface of the wall. Even if they both try to boost each other up over the wall it still wouldn't be enough for them.
While looking around a desperate idea came to Makani's mind. But it was something he didn't want to do it since he realized that it was causing him to be sick when ever he used his [Earth Manipulation ability]. But since he had no choice, he going to have to go beyond his limit to save Lele and at the same time escape from the slavers.
Makani looked at Lele who's sweating bullets.
"Lele I'm going to do something to save us. Do you trust me?"
Lele looked at Makani straight in his eyes. She didn't know what Makani was talking about but she left like she could trust Makani with anything. Lele gave a nod to Makani.
Makani closed his eyes and began to focus what was left of his energy. He tried to calm himself by breathing deeply which slowed down his heart rate. As Makani focused on calming himself down, the ground beneath them began to tremble. Seconds later they both could hear the angry mob of goblins that has been chasing them.
Lele began to feel nervous and started holding on to Makani. Minutes later the shaking of the ground intensified causing the ground around them to crumble and break. Large pieces of the ground in a two meter radius began to fall into the ground as if its being pulled in by some mysterious force.
The angry mob of goblins chasing Makani and Lele began to panic. Seeing that the ground collapse made them fear for their own lives and they were forced to run back in town. Using his [Earth Manipulation ability], Makani slowly raised the ground beneath them so that they could go over the path that's in front of them and at the same time escape the mob of goblins. Little did Makani know that raising the ground beneath them caused a violent earthquake forcing the mob of goblins who were chasing them to flee back into the town.
**
-City of Hau: Adventurer's Guild-
Tristan had been sitting in the Adventurer's Guild lobby for hours. He was anxious about the guests that are about to arrive to help him with a certain something. The day after finishing becoming a bus boy in a restaurant, Tristan sent an express letter to the Ahi Clan headquarter. The letter contained asking the clan for assistance of doing a certain quest.
One of the benefit of being in a clan is that when a member needs help finishing a quest, the clan will happily send members to help finish the particular quest. So that the member who is unable to finish the quest won't let the quest be unfinished or fail the quest.
Failing a quest mean getting a bad reputation which will also reduce the clan's prestige. When a clan loses prestige, their clan's rank will go down. Ranking with the clans are important because the higher the rank the better the people from all over the lands will look at the clan.
Ranks of clans also mean that when a special event is planned to happen the top clans will be able to know about before the public. Information about events before it happens in very advantageous because it gives the clans time to prepare for the certain events.
Such events could be like tournaments, high bounties and other things that will keep the clan at the top. Tristan sat there in the lobby and began to jerk his foot from side to side. He felt nervous because of what he's about to do. The mail he sent wasn't a lie about needing help with quests but the problem was that the quest hasn't been picked yet.
Tristan's plan is once the help arrives is that he'll use them to help him do quests until he upgrades. He thought of this plan out of desperation so that he'll be able to join the tournament in time. As he sat there he became even more nervous and began biting his nails. Then suddenly a familiar voice called out his name.
"Tristan!"
Tristan's eyes widened after hearing the voice. He turned around to see if his ears were playing games with him.
"Dad?"
Ray went up to Tristan and bear hugged his son. Tristan suddenly felt even more nervous since his own father is here. In his mind he thought that his father would be here for a different reason. So decided to ask him out of curiosity.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
"What are you doing here dad?"
Ray laughed and rubbed Tristan's head.
"I'm here to help my son with the quest he couldn't do!"
Tristan suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He never thought that his own father would the one that the clan would send to help him. Since Ray is part of the council, Tristan thought that they would send newer members to help him with his quest quests. Ray sat down across Tristan and looked him straight in the eyes.
"So the quest is too hard for my own son? Don't you worry about it your father is now here to help!"
Tristan laughed nervously and at the same time Ray laughed wholeheartedly.
"Well since you just got here lets get you to the inn first."
Tristan called Harry who's in the bar right across the room to help him with his father's luggage.
"Harry! Help me with something will ya."
Harry who has been drinking while they both waited for the help to arrive, walked over to Tristan and Ray.
"Mr. Kekona!" Harry greeted Ray drunkly.
"Harry have you been drinking?"
The corner of Harry's lips curled and his red cheeks rose.
"Maybe."
Tristan gave Harry a look then requested him to help.
"Can you bring dad back to the Inn while I go get the information for the quest?"
"Sure!" Harry smiled and grabbed Ray's leather rucksack.
"If you'll follow me Mr. Kekona."
Harry started to walk away and Ray followed him after.
Tristan sighed with relief. In truth he hasn't picked out a quest yet from the board. He merely used Harry to give himself time to pick one out. After Harry and Ray left the Adventurer's Guild to go to the Inn, Tristan hurried to the quest board on the second floor of the Adventurer's guild. Once he faced the large board full of quests he scanned it to look for a quest that looks too hard for him.
After looking around he found a quest.
[Bandits Headquarter]
Description: Help needed to clear out a cave that a group of bandits inhabits that call themselves 'The Arctic Wolves'
Reward: 10,000 gold coins
Grade C Quest
'This is perfect! With this i'll level up in no time.' Tristan thought to himself.
Tristan grabbed the quest and registered in it. After registering he quickly rushed to the Inn so that he could show his father the quest that he needed help with.
**
-City of Hau-
Moa, Iola and Kola had been working for two days and they've been collecting their earning so that they could put up a quest in the Adventurer's Guild. According to Erica the assistant in the Adventurer's Guild, to put up a quest in the quest board, they would need a lot of coins.
The break down of the fee of putting up the quest so that they can hire adventurers was explained to them by Erica. The fee for putting up a quest cost 6 gold coins and the fee for a slot on the quest cost 2 gold each per adventurer. The three of them decided that six capable adventurers would be more than enough to defend the settlement from bandits.
Their goal is to work enough to gather the fees then put up the quest. Once the quest is up they'll return to the settlement and wait for the adventurers who has taken up the quest.
Moa worked in the coliseum as a janitor while Kola joined the a part time guard in the market. Iola refused to work and decided to return to the settlement to gather any fur or meat that the settlement could spare so that he can sell the them in the city.
**
-City of Hau: Colosseum-
Moa had been brushing off stains of blood on the floor of the stadium inside the coliseum. Its here in the stadium where adventurers shows their talents and fighting skills in front of thousands of people. As he continued to scrub the slates on the stadium, he wondered how it would feel like to be an adventurer.
Hours later after almost finishing the area he was assigned to clean, a group of young men the same age as him entered the coliseum. With them is the manager that hired him and gave him his job. The noticed that Moa was looking his way and waved at Moa gesturing to him to go to him.
Moa got up and picked up his cleaning materials then walked over to the manager. The manager who's friendly but at the same time strict greeted Moa.
"Hey Moa! I see that you're doing a good job."
"I try my best." Moa smiled
"Well seeing that you did really well removing all those stains on the stadium, I think you can go now for today. These young men from the adventurer's academy are going to use the place to practice."
"I see then I'll take my leave." Moa bowed to the manger.
"Here's your pay for today. Since you did so well with the stain, the owner of the coliseum was feeling generous and wanted to give you these." The manager handed Moa a bag that contained 50 silver coins.
Moa's eyes widened. 50 silver coins is a huge amount of coins. Usually he would only get 2 coins per day. Without hesitation Moa accepted the coins and bowed at the manager. The manager laughed when Moa bowed.
"You don't have to be so formal. Also if you want to stay feel free to watch these boys practice. These guys are future Fighter class adventurers. You might learn a thing or two."
The manager and the group of young men walked in the middle of the stadium carrying various practice weapons. As Moa walked towards the exit of the coliseum something in him made him want to stay and watch them practice. But he knows if he doesn't go back to their shack that they rented he'll miss dinner.
But then again Moa realized that he had just earned 50 silver coins with today's work. With that much coins he'll be able to buy himself some food and put the rest of the coins to the side to put in the fee for the quest.
Moa sat in the seats closest to the stadium to watch the practice. He couldn't believe that he would be sitting in the seats that would usually cost 5 gold each to sit on to watch the tournaments. As he sat down and watch he remembered when he was younger that he had wanted to become an adventurer but unfortunately he was born without a choice in the world.
All his life Moa only took care of tamed Holos called Ruby Eyed Hares. He also learned to skin them for their fur and butcher them for their meats. A couple of times he helped in fending off holos that would wander inside the settlement.
Moa sat there wondering how it would be like to be strong. How it would be like to have the power to defend the ones he care about. He wished that he had been born as someone with a choice in life rather being a mere farmer.
As Moa sat there hoping and wishing, he noticed one of the young men in the group was shouting at his direction.
"Hey you! Do you wanna practice with us?!"
Moa's bows furrowed. He was confused and thought that they were shouting at someone else. Moa turned around and looked left then right. No one was there other than him. Moa shouted back.
"I don't know how to fight!"
The young man laughed and smiled
"Then we'll teach you!"
**