Inside the GM’s office, on the highest floor of the hunters guild, Sulika sat in a plush leather chair with a high back. The side of her face was already showing a dark bruise where Eli hit her with the pommel of his dagger. Despite that, she was smiling like a child with a new toy.

The room she was in wasn’t overly large or decorated. The GM had kept the office as barebones as possible due to him being out of the office more often than not. Still, for those rare times he was in office, the GM allowed himself a few small amenities to make it feel more like home; A leather chair fitted perfectly to his small frame, a custom desk made especially for him, a few large bookshelves filled to the brim with monster manuals, spell books, survival guides, and a few… Personal books to be enjoyed in his private time.

Oh, and to bring it all together, a skull from a level 73 crimson drake was mounted on the wall behind his desk; Drakes were within the dragon family, but distantly- something like the third cousin most people forget they’re related to. Drakes were wingless, draconic wolves that hunted in packs of up to twelve members. They stood around eight feet tall at the shoulder, could grow to over fifteen feet long, and the crimson specimen mounted over his desk had weighed nearly six thousand pounds.

Size differences aside; Drakes also had a unique physiology amongst dragons. They had four eyes, where most dragons possessed only two. And they breathed not through their nostrils, but through the pair of gills on either side of their neck. Drakes also lacked the ability to use a breath attack, which almost every other dragon type could use with impunity. But in return, drakes possessed an extraordinary toxic bite that could melt steel in seconds.

Drake bile is actually a favorite toxin among assassins, due to the fact that it's both tasteless and scentless… And can melt the veins right out of a troll’s body in about thirty seconds flat.

That skull was one of the GM’s proudest possessions, and slaying the creature was the main reason he’d been asked to take over the position of the Auris Guild Master. And now, Sulika’s eyes were fixated on the skull like it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

Seeing her awed expression made the GM a little happy- After all, it wasn’t everyday he got to talk with someone who wasn’t interested in the skull for the money it could make them or the status it brought. Those people always had a certain air about them- the GM referred to them as honor hounds, due to the way they chased status and honor like it was a commodity to be traded.

But despite his current feelings, he really didn’t have the time to sit around and chat. There was too much work to be done, and he was only now starting to realize just how little help he had. He’d already tried to contact Edward again- he’d done so while waiting for Sulika to arrive- and again, he was being ignored. To make matters even worse, now he had to set aside even more time he didn’t have, to speak with the three division commanders to ensure they were all on the same page.

The GM pushed all of that aside to focus on the current situation. He stared at Sulika’s bruised face through narrow eyes and could feel his hackles rising of their own accord. “Were you assaulted?” He asked, concern dripping from his voice. He wasn’t asking because Sulika was a woman- To be frank, she wasn’t. She was a hunter; a being blessed by the gods with powers far beyond that of a mortal man. But he’d left her with Eli, another hunter, and one with decades of experience compared to Sulika’s handful of years. If Eli had used his status to bully those weaker than him, he’d be the next person the GM would speak to… Even if he had to break a few bones to get him through the door.

Sulika snapped out of her awe induced stupor and shook her head. “Sorry, sir. But no. I challenged him to a spar and lost. This,” She pointed to her face. “Was given in trade.”

“Trade?” The GM asked, confused by her wording. “Trade for what?”

“An identical one on his face.” Sulika replied and smiled like the cat that ate the canary.

The GM stared at her for a second- He laughed quietly to himself and nodded. “Alright, good enough for me. If you say you weren’t assaulted, then I believe you. But- and you’re free to not answer if it's personal- I have to ask; you’ve never struck me as the hot-blooded type. Why’d you want to fight him?”

Sulika glanced down at her lap for a second to gather her thoughts. “I figured this was my last chance, and I didn’t want to miss it.” She said before glancing back at the GM… Who was staring at her with wide eyes.

“I… I didn’t realize you were sick. Was it because of guild duties?” He asked before reaching into his desk and pulling out a large folder that had to weigh over ten pounds. “I have the guild’s health representative’s address in here somewhere.” He muttered and flipped it open. “You should give them a visit when you leave here, they’ll help you organize a treatment plan- Oh, and don’t worry about the expenses. The guild will cover all of it-”

“Sir!” Sulika said, interrupting him before the misunderstanding could get out of hand. The GM looked up from the folder with a confused look on his face. “I realize now that I wasn’t clear with my words; I’m not sick, the Vice Master fired me and my team yesterday… Which is actually what I thought this meeting was going to be about, and why I wanted to talk to you-”

“Fired you?” The GM exclaimed incredulously. He slammed the folder shut and shoved it to the side of his desk without caring how close it came to sliding off onto the floor. “As far as I know, you haven’t been issued any demerits on your record. Nor have I heard of you, or any of your team, being troublesome employees... Well, no more than anyone else. So, to say you were all fired seems like an extreme reaction, and I’m going to need you to explain before this conversation can go any further.”

Sulika had to swallow her nerves at the sight of the GM staring a hole through her with his lone eye. She knew what he was doing; he was studying her for any sign of deceit. Because he was right, firing them all was an extreme reaction. But it was also 100% the truth, and she knew that. Sulika took a steadying breath and began to explain the events leading up to her conversation with Edward, leaving nothing out. She’d already received Faeyra’s permission to say she was the oracle who gave the prophecy, so that’s where she started. Explaining the prophecy led to talking about how she’d reported the warning to the guild- and their subsequent ignoring of it- A low growl filled the room, stopping Sulika’s explanation in its tracks. The GM’s teeth were exposed, and he was practically vibrating with anger. She saw him visibly wrestle down his emotions until his body stopped shaking and the growling had ceased, which left the room in an uncomfortable silence.

“I apologize.” The GM said through gritted teeth. It took him a few more seconds to calm down enough to speak normally. “I understand Edward’s decision-” He held up his hand to stop Sulika from interrupting. “Not saying I agree with it. Personally, I think all reports of a new dungeon should be investigated- no matter the source of the information…” He sighed. “But I also know how stretched thin we are. Most islands the size of Azuris have eight closing teams, ten scouting teams, and between fifteen and twenty mining teams. The teams are also much larger in numbers than what we have here, and between the cities of Auris, Ventihold, Impercall, and Starfall, Azuris Island has a population of 130,000. And yet- and YET those old blowhards back at headquarters are expecting us to protect it with only a few dozen hunters. Why?” He asked, though it was more like he was ranting, rather than asking a question that required an answer. “It’s a fact that we’re sorely lacking in manpower right now, and if he thinks we couldn’t spare the teams to investigate the- admittedly dubious- claim, then he’s probably right.” The GM admitted.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“I understand that sir.” Sulika quietly replied. “That’s why I’m not fighting my firing. I know I messed up, but my team was just following orders when they helped me raid that warehouse-”

The GM lifted his hand again, causing her to go silent. “You did what?” He asked through clenched teeth. So, Sulika explained how she and the other members of her team took turns watching the warehouse during their personal time. How they collected evidence, took photographs, and watched the warehouse every night for multiple weeks before finally bringing it back to the guild. “So… You investigated it yourselves, while completing your own duties- Because I checked your files when I arrived this morning, and there weren’t any reported absences.” The GM asked, trying to clarify everything he’d just been told- to which Sulika replied by nodding. “And do you still have this evidence?” He asked.

“Yes, sir. All of it should still be inside the team office, I made sure it was all deposited into the team's safe just in case we needed it later. Want me to go get it?” She asked and moved to stand- but the GM shook his head.

“No, I’ll look for it myself once we’re done here. What happened next?” He prompted her to continue while leaning back in his chair. Sulika explained what they found inside the warehouse, how they chased the cultist through the streets, and how they followed him into the dungeon that spawned from the orb breaking against the ground- “Are you fucking stupid?” The GM shouted; his voice hit Sulika’s ears like a stick of dynamite. “What possessed you to follow him into the portal without waiting for the guild?”

Sulika was quiet for a second before saying- “The dungeon was supposed to break immediately after opening and release death upon Iolara. That’s what Faeyra saw in her vision, so… I didn’t think we had time to wait for reinforcements that may never come?” She said, though she sounded unsure even to her own ears. Sulika’s eyes widened as she watched the GM’s hands curl into white-knuckled fists, his fingers gouging deep lines into the top of his desk, though the GM either didn’t notice or didn’t care about the damage he was causing to his own furniture. After a long moment of silence, the GM relaxed his hands and shook the splinters and wood chips out of his hands. He slowly exhaled to calm himself down and nodded for Sulika to continue.

Sulika hesitated for a moment, debating whether to tell the GM about Aldritch or not… Eventually, she acquiesced and just told him everything that’s happened since she first saw Aldritch- though she left out the private conversations, since they had nothing to do with the guild or her place within it. By the end of her tale, the GM was sitting with his elbows on his desk and his head held between his palms.

“Are you okay, sir?” Sulika asked, genuinely concerned for the GM’s health. She had no idea how much stress he was under until this conversation.

“My head hurts.” He admitted with a sigh. “I need to have a talk with Edward.” He muttered while slowly rubbing his temples. “I’m sorry he accused you of embezzling the guild’s funds with so little evidence. I haven’t seen any letters about your team come across my desk- Hell, I haven’t seen him at all. But I’ll find out what’s going on with him. Regardless, I don’t want to lose you or your team, so, if you still want to be a part of the guild, the job remains yours.”

Butterflies. Sulika felt dozens of the little creatures battling to the death inside her stomach. She could keep her job? Just like that? What was she waiting for? Of course, the answer was “Yes! A thousand times, yes!” ... Wasn’t it? Wasn’t that what she wanted?

“So, do you think we’ll be able to form a guild as we are now?” Aldritch had asked them that question just last night. Sulika realized then that she’d been looking forward to it, To the long nights, to the struggles, to the freedom. Yes, it would be a ton of work to run a guild, and there was no guarantee that it would work out once all was said and done. But at the end of the day- did she really want to continue working for a place like the guild? The truth was, no, she didn’t. She'd rather risk it all by starting a guild of her own than allow the Vice Master to continue holding her employment hostage. Plus, if she stayed, then punching Eli across the face would have much less impact- which was just unacceptable… She did feel bad for the GM, though. It was obvious he loved the guild, and he took his job very seriously. She wondered how much her leaving would burden him-

“Don’t stay out of pity.” The GM said, interrupting Sulika’s thoughts and confusing her. “That look in your eyes; I recognize it.” He explained, his voice going a bit quieter as he spoke. “You’ve made your decision, but something’s holding you back. Don’t let it. If you want to leave, then leave. If you want to stay, then stay. The guild will survive either way, as it always has.” He said and looked directly at her face. “What do you want to do, Captain Wysarie… Or would you prefer Sulika?”

Sulika met his gaze for a second, before dropping her eyes to her lap while she thought it over… “I think…” She took a calming breath and looked up, focusing her gaze directly onto the GM. “No, I do prefer Sulika. Just Sulika.” She replied with a smile.

“Well, then.” The GM hopped out of his chair and walked around the desk until he was standing in front of her. He held out a single, heavily calloused hand for her to shake. “Let me be the first to wish you luck on your next endeavor; Sulika Wysarie.”

Sulika’s smile grew even bigger, and she stood up to properly shake his hand. “Thanks, Guild Master-” Her words were cut off by the GM’s raised hand.

“Civilians don’t have to call me Guild Master, so neither do you.” He explained while slightly smiling.

“Then what do I call you?” Sulika asked, and realized she’d never actually known the GM’s name. As the highest member of the guild branch, everyone called him by his title of ‘Guild Master’ as a sign of respect. But it was true the civilians didn’t have to follow that rule, most still did to show they also respected him.

The GM thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “Just call me Max.”

“Oh, well then, nice to meet you, Max-” Sulika replied and showed Max a bright smile-

“Don’t ruin the moment by getting all excited.” Max said in complete deadpan. “Knowing my name doesn’t make us friends.”

“Right… Sorry, sir.” Sulika replied and laughed awkwardly. She bowed her head, “Thanks for everything, sir.” She said in a loud, clear voice before departing the office and practically running down the stairs to get out of the building- she slid to a stop on the first floor and cursed under her breath. She’d almost forgotten her sword!

Once Sulika was gone, Max smiled. Despite losing a powerful sorceress, and one of his few team leaders, Max was happy she was about to forge her own path… He wished more hunters had the opportunity to do so.

He looked up at the skull hanging over his desk and let out another sigh. He hated that he seemed to be doing that more often than he ever had. He used to never sigh- after all, what was the point? It accomplished nothing, sounded irritating, and was pointless once you realized you could’ve just changed whatever made you sigh in the first place… But now? He felt like every day, the weight on his shoulders got larger. Max was suffocating little by little, and there was very little he could do about it until the other branches stopped stealing potential recruits right out from under them.

His mind then went to Edward… Now that- that he could do something about.