The night passed and the next morning came. Adam woke earlier than expected given that he had spent the majority of the evening reading the book about goblins. Yet he found himself full of energy, and he was grateful for that. He was itching to begin their journey westward, knowing that the road was long and treacherous.

He didn't care much about the dangers of countryside bandits or the occasional wild predator both mundane or magical creeping on them. Ruk, he believed, was more than capable of dispatching anyone who would dare stand in their way of doing something good. The orc had fought a kraken and won. His feats spoke for themselves.

Though Adam was confident in his partner’s abilities, it was still no excuse for him to be laid back and unguarded. He needed to be on alert at all times, passively surveying their surroundings with his telepathy. If he detected anything lying in wait, he would muster his telekinesis and deal with them quickly and immediately.

He would not kill, but there was nothing holding him back from making sure whatever or whoever crossed their paths would never walk again. That said, he very much preferred avoiding any and all confrontations if they could do so.

Fighting was not their mission. Their quest was to find a husband’s wife and a father’s daughter, allowing the man to finally have some closure after months of uncertainty and grief.

Before they left the guild, Dasha came and informed them that the quest giver had been informed of the Rukdam’s Duo acceptance of his request. It turned out that the quest giver and the quest takers both had the same quest documents which were magically connected and linked, informing both of the quest’s status. It followed the same logic as the quest marker.

Speaking of the quest marker, both Adam and Ruk received the quest marker on their right wrist. It was a rather simple procedure. Dasha cast a spell on each of their right wrist and then the quest marker appeared after a bright flash of white light. The marker itself was not impressive, consisting of a few lines and symbols arranged within a small circle.

Fortunately for Adam, the quest marker did not proceed to give him a sharp headache or painful reaction. Just a mild drowsiness as his mental defenses encountered a constant but muted wave of interference trying to cross into his mind emanating from his wrist.

It was not too much of an annoyance, and though it made him slightly uncomfortable, it wasn’t too much of a pain to deal with. In fact, Adam only needed to make a few adjustments to his mental defenses, allowing the wave of interference to stream in to some degree, which eliminated most of the discomfort.

With that little problem solved, there was another thing Adam needed to consider. And that was the fact that there was no way for the Rukdam Duo to contact the quest giver. The man had nothing left, so expecting him to have his own waystone was too much of a stretch.

Adam was beginning to miss his phone and the internet. There were so many things in his mind that he wanted to look up. Like most of his contemporaries back home, Adam took for granted the convenience offered by modern technology.

A month ago, he had the fruits of modern life at his fingertips, serving his every need and want in a way that was both simple and complex. He had a warm bed, good clothes, good shoes, good food, and a sturdy roof. Not only that, but he had the knowledge of the world within his palm, concentrated into a device that was both small yet a testament to the world he once lived in.

As the scorching sun blazed above his head, Adam remembered the convenience of air-conditioned cars and missed it dearly. It felt good to breathe in the fresh air every once in a while, but not during a humid and hot day.

And today was one such day.

They had just left the guild behind, bidding farewell to Dasha and Carnos. The branchmaster had taken it upon himself to leave his office for a short while to see the duo off as they began their first journey together.

It was a kind gesture. And Adam appreciated it. That said, Carnos had another, more important reason to do so.

The branchmaster had written and stamped several important documents and travel papers, rolling them up into convenient papyrus scrolls for ease of use and storage. These were to be used as evidence and proof of the duo's legal business and rights as Adventurers. Seeing how important these pieces of parchment were, Adam stored them inside the deepest pocket of his backpack, making sure the lacing was tight and secure.

Adam hoped that they wouldn't need to show these papers too often.

Since Ruk preferred to walk, Adam sat on the front of the wagon, gripping at the reins of Mr. Mule. It was a very unoriginal and unimaginative name, but the young man thought it was both amusing and fitting.

Mr. Mule did not seem to be too bothered with the load he was pulling. He was a strong mule with little want or need for anything else that didn't involve rest or food.

Though the mule could just graze on patches of grass whenever the Rukdam Duo decided to rest, Adam thought that it was best for them to bring along some animal feed. After all, Mr. Mule was also an important part of their party and treating him fairly only seemed right.

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Since it was close to midday, most of the streets they took were packed with people and other traffic such as other wagons, carts, and even a few carriages carrying some rich or important person. These gilded and ornate carriages were often escorted by a squad of guards, sometimes bearing different banners and colors.

Adam assumed them to be from different noble houses. He knew a thing or two about medieval society and the system of feudalism that served to govern most of it. If this world and its society functioned similarly, then these noble houses were not to be disrespected. Or attracted.

Given the heavy traffic they encountered, Adam and Ruk found themselves reaping the very few and unexpected benefits that came about from most people's prejudice against orcs.

Tall, broad, and with a large axe sitting on his shoulders, Ruk unwittingly carved a somewhat clear path through the congested streets, parting the crowds in front of them as he walked forth with a jolly strut.

The orc cared not what the other humans thought about him, at least on the surface. But as Adam decided to peer into his mind for a short instance, he found his partner to be somewhat disturbed by the reactions he was getting.

Despite that, Ruk forged along, recognizing that his presence allowed for the rest of the party to quicken its pace.

The day dragged on. Moving through Port Silvershore proved more time-consuming than expected. Adam had never been to the very center of the city, and he was surprised to see just how dense the rest of the city was.

The modern cities and towns he were familiar with back home had serviceable infrastructure with wide streets and many kinds of public transport. From trams, to trains, to buses, one could get from one side of a city to another without much hassle, assuming they had the money to do so.

Adam had been in this world for a month, but only now was he realizing the gravity of change he had been dealt with. The world he knew and the world he was now learning about were different in so many ways. He felt like an alien walking on unfamiliar lands, a human without a home to call his own.

Adam once again felt his emotions rising from the back of his mind, causing a lump to form in his throat. He missed his old life dearly and he was still in the process of grieving and moving on. These things, especially for a psychic as emotionally sensitive as Adam, were hard for the mind and heavy on the heart.

After his eyes blurred with tears, Adam shook his head. He rubbed his eyes and wiped the tears away, sighing away the weight that had brought down his chest. He breathed in and out, trying to clear his mind with other thoughts. Finally coming to terms with himself, Adam realized that he needed to get a grip on his emotions.

Adam needed to grieve and move on if he were to survive in this unfamiliar world. But it was proving to be extremely difficult.

Still, he reminded himself that he had a promise to keep. And that was the only thing keeping him going at this point.

Deep inside his mind, hidden behind the painful memories, was a small but lingering hope. It paled in comparison to the despair that lurked beside it, but it held strong nonetheless. This tiny sliver of hope told of a better and brighter future. A future where Adam would be able to regain his happiness and start anew.

Adam smiled as he touched upon this hope. If such a faint light survived the shadows of darkness that had otherwise overwhelmed his mind, then there was a chance for him yet.

Finally back to his usual self, Adam beheld his surroundings from the comfort of his wagon. After making their way through the center of the city and a few other crowded districts, the Rukdam Duo eventually reached the western gate.

The western gate was one of three gates that penetrated the tall and thick stone walls that surrounded and protected Port Silvershore. It was a mighty structure, tall and flanked by even taller towers. Manned by a considerable garrison, the western gate served as a secure entrance for any and all travelers entering and exiting the city.

When Adam first beheld the western gate, he was mesmerized and taken in by the grandness of its otherwise plain design and architecture. Three carriages could fit through its open belly and pass at the same time, such was the width and space it provided.

Ruk, meanwhile, came to a stop as several soldiers formed a wall in front of them, effectively blocking their path. It was an unpleasant welcome.

Seeing this, Adam jumped off the wagon and walked towards the line of soldiers. He saw that they were armed with spears and shields, yet they dared not to point their weapons at him as he approached. Instead, their attention and worry were mostly fixated on Ruk.

Adam shook his head as he faced the soldiers, not even bothering to see into their minds with his telepathy. Their grim expressions and stiff body movement already showed plenty of what they thought.

Adam was too tired of the unjust treatment to feign respect. So much so that he allowed a frown to wrinkle his face.

“We are the Rukdam Duo. An adventurer party under the banner and protection of the Phoenix Blades,” Adam said, "What seems to be the problem?”

“There ain’t one.” Came a gruff voice to Adam’s right. Turning to face the source of the voice, Adam found a middle-aged looking soldier walking towards him with a hardened gaze, sporting a different set of armor to that of the other soldiers blocking their path. His helm was pointed rather than rounded, with a plume of feathers erupting from the tip. He also had plate armor instead of padded leather, masked over by a gambeson displaying the golden symbol and white colors of Port Silvershore’s banners.

Peering into this man’s mind, Adam found a disgusting sense of duty and responsibility. One that was marred by prejudice rather than honesty, ridged instead of open.

“We just got a few questions, is all.” The man said. He was obviously the leader of the soldiers manning the gates, and Adam already didn’t like him.

A crowd was beginning to form around them, consisting of curious and irritated pedestrians as the situation dragged on. A traffic jam ensued, and it was growing longer and thicker with each passing moment.

Not wanting to cause more of a disturbance through no fault of their own, Adam and Ruk decided that the best possible course of action was for the young man to do the talking.

In actuality, Adam did less talking and more rummaging. Before the commander could drag things out with his expectedly boring and assertive questions, the young man pulled out the documents Carnos had provided them with.

“As you can see here, we have the papers to prove who we are,” Adam said, not even trying to hide the distaste in his voice, “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll get going.”

The commander grew angered, but seeing the papers and the magical seals proving their authenticity, whatever game he was about to play was cut short.

In the end, after a few minutes of useless and unnecessary hold up and tension, the soldiers allowed the Rukdam Duo through.

And so did their first quest and journey together begin.