It was evening, and rain was falling once more. Vittorio had satisfied his pact price today by stopping the wind from blowing rain in through an open window until they could tell the owner. The purpose of the price remained very much a mystery to him.
The group they had met earlier had returned from their quest earlier that day. They were clearly tired and sported bruises but seemed in good spirits, and invited Vittorio and Gloria to join them to hear of what they'd been up to. Things got a bit sidetracked when they revealed where they quest had taken them.
"Imone?", Gloria asked. "That's near where we grew up! We got our classes there! Are things alright?"
Nuno was taking the lead in the conversation. Over the time they'd known each other, Vittorio had gathered he was the leader of the group. "Things are fine. The quest was posted by the Temple of the Lost, one of their [Blessed Seekers] went out looking for someone and found tracks of a cragwolf."
"Cragwolf?", Vittorio asked.
"A monstrous wolf", Vanessa said. "They act a bit like wolves with pack hunting and so on, but they have a rocky shell rather than normal fur. Quite cunning, odds are they've been in the area for a while, observing the locals. A big enough pack left unchecked can wipe out a small village."
"And the stone makes them a bad matchup for your normal townsfolk", Nuno added. "Bows and knives are practically useless."
"But you took care of them?"
"Yeah. It was pretty textbook as these things go: Vanessa tracked them down, me and Tarcisio kept them busy, Pacha ran - sorry, Pachakutek ran interference, and Ulberto took them down."
"If you can hit 'em past the skin they're not so tough", Ulberto said.
"Heavy though, weren't they?" Pachakutek asked. "My spells barely nudged them, did they?"
"They did plenty", Nuno said. "They sure didn't like getting a Water Spout down their throats."
"Did you save the [Hunter]?", Vittorio asked. He could clearly picture the desperate hope in the eyes of Pietros wife. He realized he didn't even know her name.
The mood grew more sombre. "No", Nuno said. "Monsters don't leave survivors. They aren't like animals, who might attack and run away. Most of them don't even really need to eat. They're just out to kill."
"Remember that, okay?", Pachakutek asked. "A monstrous wolf is not a wolf, even though they might look like one, is it?"
Vanessa nodded. "Monsters aren't natural. Just look at the Rat Room: Normal rats would barely survive in that nest, but the monsters thrive. It's like they just need violence to live."
The group continued talking, focusing on lighter things. After several days on the road however, the senior adventurers went to bed early, agreeing to meet up again in the morning to have a look at the youngsters' progress. Vittorio and Gloria stayed up a while longer, talking through what they'd learned. They were both a bit worried about Gloria's mother but nothing they'd been told suggested there was a second victim of the cragwolves. It was still an uneasy night's sleep for her.
Early the next day the others, mainly Tarcisio and Pachakutek, ran a critical eye over their progress. Gloria had grown much more comfortable and had gravitated towards using a sword, while Vittorio had been spending more and more time working on more dynamic aiming than just standing still and pointing. He would move his aim quickly between target dummies, or trying to be accurate while moving and so on.
Nuno declared that he believed them to be ready for a first visit to the Rat Room. "Training is important", he said, "but it doesn't compare to the real thing - not to mention that it will bring you to level 2 much, much faster." Some preparations needed to be made, however: They needed proper equipment - vital for Gloria, of course - and an official had to sign off on it. Nuno said he'd vouch for them and be with them in the room in case things went bad.
Equal part nervous and excited, Gloria agreed. Rather more nervous than excited, Vittorio also agreed. At the front desk they met not Ermes but Ochi, an elven woman they'd seen now and then but hadn't spoken to. Her hair shimmered unnaturally today too.
"Hello, Ochi! We'd like to schedule the Rat Room."
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Really, Nuno? I would have thought that was beneath you, though maybe you're just in it for the rats?" Her voice was confident, her words well enunciated.
"Don't start up with this again..."
"Hey, I'm not judging", Ochi said, raising her hands. "What a man does in his spare time is between him and his rodents. But I'm guessing it's for the zeroes?"
Vanessa, snorting slightly, whispered: "His first time in the Rat Room a rat squirmed into his pants. Ochi has never let him live it down."
"Oh it squirmed all right", Ochi said.
"Yes", Nuno said loudly. "It's for these two. They're ready and I- Tarcisio will be with them in the room."
The elf looked Gloria and Vittorio over, looking far more serious. "It's borderline, but doable. Start with two rats at most, mind you. The first time can go bad fast. [Pactmaker], I assume you have some defensive skill?"
"Uh, yes!", Vittorio said, surprised about being included in a conversation about himself. "Two, sort of."
"A ringing endorsement of your class, I'm sure", she said. She turned back to Nuno. "Get them properly equipped. No reason to waste money on trash if their minds are set. You can have a spot tonight."
Nuno thanked her and led the group outside, where some of the others started in on how lucky Nuno was.
"Why's he lucky?", Vittorio asked.
"Because he's got Ochi's attention!", Ulberto said. Gloria rolled her eyes.
"Not like that", Vanessa said. "Ochi's important. When big jobs come in they go through her - or when someone's recruiting. If you want to move on from the Company you make friends with Ochi."
Gloria, having dreamed of joining for years, was almost scandalized. "Move on?! Why would you want to do that? You mean, like quit being an adventurer?"
"No, but the Company is just a starting point", Nuno said. "It's good for getting going, learning the trade and so on but it's not reliable, it doesn't pay well, and nobody posts high-level quests to it. You could spend your whole life adventuring for the Company and not hit tier 3. If you want to get somewhere as an adventurer, you need to get a patron. To get a patron around these parts, you need Ochi's recommendation."
"'Patron' is a bad word", Ulberto said. "Should be something else."
"What?", Pachakutek asked.
"I dunno. Something. Makes it sound like you're working for some noble or something. Doubt there's any actual patron person other than the dragon. The rest is just merchant houses and stuff."
"Point is", Nuno said, trying to get things back on track, "getting friendly with Ochi is good. Of course, since everyone knows that, she's swamped with people wanting to impress her. Do your job, work hard, and listen to her advice and you'll do all right."
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"What do you get from working for a patron though? Is it just higher-level quests?", Gloria asked, slowly warming up to the idea.
"You get paid", Ulberto said. "You get paid for doing nothing, get paid more for doing jobs, get paid a lot for top quests. An' there's perks."
"What do you mean, 'perks'?"
"Y'know, other stuff. Why you'd work for them an' not anyone else. The Monolith gives you magic items of that glass, Bloodred Traders lets you go on any o' their ships. Stuff like tha'."
Nuno led them first to an [Armoursmith] and then a [Weaponsmith], both in the inner city. On the way they explained what Ochi had meant about getting the 'properly' equipped: Weapons and armour weren't actually terribly expensive, but you got what you paid for. A sword that'd chip and bend and not hold an edge? You could get that for a few silver. A sword you could use day in, day out as an adventurer? That'd cost you a bit, even if it was just for low-Tier work.
Gloria got bracers, greaves, a helmet, a shield, a sword, a pair of daggers, a leather skirt, and a chainmail shirt. The [Armourer] they visited was specialized in chainmail so it wasn't as dear as it could have been, but it still wasn't cheap. Vittorio got a long coat in dark leather, a skirt and greaves of the same material, some daggers, and a helmet wrapped in leather. While they could have paid for it through a loan from the guild, Vittorio preferred to pay for it all directly. Gloria paid for her sword from her own pockets and promised to pay him back. He didn't really mind - he had trouble accepting getting so much money just for having a class, and he just didn't want them to be in debt.
They also stopped by the second-hand magical shop Master Kahe had recommended, and while there was lots to see Vittorio was just there for a small dimensional pouch. It was very small, but he didn't mind. After that, it was back to the guild hall for some final training, dinner, and finally: The Rat Room.
Vittorio and Gloria armed and armoured themselves, and Nuno insisted on doing a check to see that everything was on properly. They were, though he did mutter about getting them fitted. He himself put on his chainmail and grabbed a pair of daggers, explaining they'd be more use than his usual two-handed sword.
They made their way to the basement and entered the Rat Room for the first time. It was fairly unremarkable: A very dim room made entirely of grey stone, lit by weak magical lights in the ceiling. It was rectangular with the doors on one short wall and a mechanism holding a thick steel plate on the other. Near the far end, on their left, was a window, through which they saw most of the group joining Ochi to observe. Nuno entered the room with them.
"There's nothing to it", he said gently. "Vanessa will see to the gate and let two through. The rats aren't harmless by any means but neither are they beyond you. And don't worry about being watched, nobody's expecting a clean fight your first time. We're just here to help."
The youngsters nodded, then discussed their positions. Gloria ended up near the gate and on its left, Vittorio on the far right by the wall. The hope was for the rats to go straight for Gloria making it easy for her to get her shield up, while Vittorio would have a clear shot and might even go unnoticed thanks to Wind Armour suppressing his sound and scent.
Nuno looked over to the window and nodded. Someone worked the mechanism and the metal gate began to rise. The rats, not content to wait, squeezed themselves under when it was less than a handspan from the floor.
Vittorios first impression was that they were big, ugly, and otherwise not all that different from other rats. They were the size of a big cat and ill proportioned: One had legs far thicker than it should have, while the other had an oversized head and tail. In his mind he named them Big Legs and Big head - he did not have time to come up with anything better as they threw themselves at Gloria as soon as they were clear, screeching wildly.
Gloria was ready for them and turned to stop them on her shield, getting pushed back by their sheer weight but keeping them at bay. She moved her shield to get at them with her sword, but was forced to go back to blocking as they leapt back up as soon as they reached the ground. Her Fervent buff shifted to Anger due to her frustration, increasing her strength. The next time a rat tried to get at her she didn't just block, but beat it back with her shield, sending it flying.
Vittorio, meanwhile, was dealing with a basic problem of Wind Weaponry: While it's great the enemy can't see it coming, he also can't see how he's missing. The rats moved too quickly for him to get a good shot in, and he simply wasn't used to leading his targets. When Gloria bashed Big Legs one away he saw his chance, hitting it first after it impacted the wall and again after it landed. Two small but deep wounds appeared on the creatures side, spilling blood into its filthy fur. It scarcely seemed to notice and charged right back at Gloria who had managed to land a shallow cut on Big Heads big head.
With all the bashing, jumping, and shoving going on, the rats were no longer attacking Gloria side-by-side. A sizeable gap had formed between them and Gloria was forced to back away to try and keep them both in a position to block. This also meant the rats were now between two humans. Vittorio mentally prepared himself to use Path of Air - his least practiced skill - should it be necessary, but he also found it easier to hit the monsters when their backs were turned. While focusing on one to take it out quickly was tempting, he opted to ensure they were both bleeding first.
He managed to get three hits in on Big Head before it turned to find out what was biting it in the back. In its distraction Gloria managed to get a good hit in on its right hip, but it had found a new target. One without a plank of wood in front of it. With a hissing screech it charged towards Vittorio, only slightly slowed by its injured hip. One more spear of air hit it in the back and then it leapt.
It had a lot more, and much larger, teeth than Vittorio had realized. His plan of using Path of Air was abandoned, and instead he almost instinctively used Suspend to make a small, short-duration barrier. The rat slammed into it, then grabbed on to the top and began pulling itself up when the skill ended and it fell on its back. Wind Weaponry speared it through the neck and Vittorio followed up with a dagger, the rats frantic clawing blocked by Wind Armour. As it died he felt a burst of energy, of strength and focus, and he swiftly got ready to help Gloria. Looking up he saw that she didn't need any help. Big Legs was dead, Gloria having slammed the shield down on it edgewise and cut it up.
The two looked at each other, adrenaline still racing, and laughed as the tension left them. They'd done it! They may not have been in danger, but they'd killed monsters!
"Good", Nuno said, smiling gently. "Very good. You stayed safe and didn't freeze up. Lots of work to do of course, but this is a big step forward."
Outside the window their friends were giving them thumbs up or gently applauding. Ochi opened a small slit next to the window and called out for Vittorio to check his status.
Attributes Status Class Vittorio Merchant Status Class: Pactmaker (No template) Log Level: 2
Available Talent points: 1 Minor
Active pact: The Still Wind
Price paid: Yes
Health: Unharmed
Alert!
You have 1 Talent point!
Energy level: Moderate Beneficial status effects: Cleansing Passage, Wind Armour
Negative status effects: None
He stared at it for a moment, then turned to Gloria. "I levelled up."