When Adam arrived at the Phoenix Blade’s Adventurer Guild building the next morning, he didn’t know what to expect. Aside from a few pointers and reminders from Baran and Fred, Adam was unaware of everything else.
He was standing just shy of an open iron gate that led towards a green yard wrapped by bushes and flowers. Between them snaked a network of stone paths leading towards the guild building.
The building itself was unremarkable. A tall, stone building with multiple floors signified by the many rows of windows that ran across its exterior. Two large wooden doors served as its entrance. The doors were large enough for Adam to vaguely make out the carvings on their surface. There were imagery of people, animals, and things Adam could only describe as unnatural. To be fair, a flying whale battling a dragon over a sea of stars wasn’t something that naturally happened back home. Nor did whales fly or dragons exist back there.
Atop the doors hung a large banner displaying a flaming bird. A phoenix with open wings crested like a crown, alongside a beak that aimed towards the sky. Underneath the banner was a sign engraved with the words ‘Phoenix Blades’. Straightforward.
What caught Adam’s curiosity, however, were the two individuals who stood guard by the doors. They were tall, donned in what looked to be chain mail and leather armor, armed with spears, and were undeniably reptilian. They had a pointed face - similar to that of a reptile - and dark, scaled skin. Their eyes were a light green reflection, with slit pupils that scanned the surroundings.
If the green humanoid from before was a different species of human, these reptilians were a different kind of humanoid altogether. Adam scanned their minds and found both to be equally as complex as that of a regular human. There was no denying that they were sapient and sentient, making Adam dizzy with the possibilities that this entailed. It was as if Adam was looking at two alien lifeforms. Maybe he was. There was no way these crocodiles on legs were another version of humans.
Realizing that he had been standing in the middle of the gate for a few minutes too long, Adam finally mustered the courage to walk forward, leaving the busy street behind him. As he crossed the yard, he felt the gaze of the two guards land on him. They did not seem to find him suspicious or worth any concern, but they were alert nonetheless.
Adam walked up before the entrance, climbed up the very short stairs, and presented the guards with the recommendation letter he had been provided with. One of the guards took the piece of parchment with fingers that had sharp claws instead of nails and read over the contents. The reptilian’s eyes squinted then dilated as he finished, afterwards returning the letter to Adam.
“What of it?” The other guard asked, noticing his companion’s reaction.
“The portmaster recommends this one.” The guard replied.
“Truly surprising then,” The other guard acknowledged, “The human must have found a worthy candidate. Right this way then, young recruit.”
The guards pushed the large wooden doors open, revealing a quiet and orderly lobby filled with wooden chairs, tables, and couches. There were hearths on either end of the lobby, keeping the room at a warm and cozy temperature. Torches lined the walls, illuminating the lobby with a soft red hue. There was also a stairway near the front desk which led upward.
There was barely anyone here besides a few individuals and groups. A few were looking at a wooden board with pieces of parchment nailed on it. It looked like a job board.
It seemed like the guild had just finished a busy morning and were in the process of cleaning what messes remained. People wearing what looked to be simple blue uniforms whom Adam assumed were guild staff swept and wiped, tending to the lobby as a whole. The lobby also smelled like food and perfume mixed together. It didn't smell particularly good, but it wasn't bad either.
Adam was at first worried that he’d catch unwanted attention. Much to his relief, the other patrons of the guild didn’t seem to notice his presence. Or even if they did, they paid him a passing glance and nothing more. They were much too busy looking over the board or lounging around.
Adam walked up to the front desk and was greeted by a clerk with a pretty smile and calming, blue eyes. Her silky hair was tied into a ponytail, serving to highlight her fair complexion. That said, Adam found himself staring at something more pronounced. Her ears. They were long and pointed.
"Hi there! You're a new face. Welcome to the New World headquarters of the Phoenix Blades. How may I help you?"
Adam found himself staring for a few seconds before regathering himself. He cleared his throat and coughed, reminding himself in his mind that it was rude and weird to stare and that he needed to stop being weird. He was the outsider, not them. This was not his world. He had to accept that. He couldn't just continue being surprised and puzzled by everything he learned. He had to move on.
The clerk had the same blue uniform as the others, but the others had normal ears as far as Adam could see. Was it some sort of illusion? Or maybe she was part of another species of human. If so, how many species were there in this weird world?
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Adam shook his head, refocusing himself finally.
"Sir?" The clerk asked with a look of concern.
"Oh uhm, sorry. I'm here to join the guild as an Adventurer." Adam said as he handed over the recommendation letter, "And yeah, I'm pretty new here at Port Silvershore."
"Oh? And from whom might this be?" The clerk asked as she inspected the letter.
"The portmaster, Mr. Baran." Adam answered.
The clerk's eyes slightly widened and she immediately began reading the letter. Her mouth was slightly agape when she finished. Not exactly comforting for Adam to see.
"Mr. Adam Sun, apologies, but please wait here and enjoy our lounge for a moment. I need to talk to the branchmaster. I'll get back to you as soon as possible!"
"Uhm.. sure?"
The clerk left in a hurry, rushing up the stairway and leaving Adam standing awkwardly near the front desk. Looking around, he saw that there was an empty couch near one of the hearths and decided to sit there and wait.
The hearth was warm and well-fed. The crackling sound it made soothed Adam's mind, calming him as he sank deeper into the cushions. They were surprisingly soft and fluffy, not what Adam expected of a medieval couch, but he was not about to complain.
Adam took the time to look around, mostly to try and see what to expect once he became a part of the guild. There was a group of four eating around a table that caught his eye. Two humans and two other humanoids.
The two humans were both men, wearing plate armor that gleamed like clean silver against the soft light of the lobby. They had their helmets placed on one corner of the table and Adam recognized the designs as arnets. Each had a long blue feather standing on either ear side of the arnet. Also, they had longswords sitting beside them that looked cumbersome to wield. But this was a fantasy world, maybe the swords were as light as a knife.
Meanwhile, the two non-humans appeared to be women and had long bunny ears and a round tail around their upper hip. They wore padded leather topped over with some chainmail and they also wore shorts. Their muscled legs were bare to see, and Adam deduced that there was a reason for their otherwise unorthodox choices for protection. The two had shortswords and daggers dangling from the belts around their hips, further proving Adam's assumption. While the humans designed themselves for heavy fighting, the non-humans instead focused on agility and speed.
Smart. It seemed like the group were improving upon their strengths and taking advantage of what they have. As Adam looked around, he saw others wearing similar sets of armor or had robes and a staff. Mages, Adam thought.
That said, the fact that most of the people here were heavily armed meant that the jobs around here leaned more towards the violent kind.
Ignoring the people for a moment, Adam inspected the murals painted on the walls. They depicted scenes both mundane and fantastic, telling stories from years ago or ages past. Adam tried to make sense of what he saw, trying to piece together what the murals told.
One particular mural caught his eye. It went from left to right, depicting a scene of innocence, tragedy, and triumph. It showed a young man leaving behind what appeared to be a village, bidding farewell to his family. Afterwards, the man became skilled with the sword thanks to a teacher, but the teacher is killed by some shadowy foe who come in the form of dark clouds with malevolent eyes. These entities spread across the land, choking the world. In his quest for vengeance, he joined the Phoenix Blades, this very guild, and set about driving away the shadow. The last scene showed the same man, but grown and tempered by time and experience, looking down on a peaceful valley. He was victorious and at peace.
At a glance, it was not as epic as the tales around it. The others showed dragons, flying whales, magical battles that defied comprehension, and epic journeys that spanned the length of the wall. This one, Adam realized, was the smallest of all the murals. In spite of that, it was the one that resonated with him the most. If the story was to be believed, then the man was a hero. He did not fight the most epic battles, but he fought to defend the world. A classic tale.
As he admired the rest of the murals, the clerk returned from her short journey up the stairway and walked up towards Adam. She did not look to be out of breath or sweating despite the fact she was almost running.
"The branchmaster would like to see you, Mr. Adam!" She said as she brought her hands together below her stomach.
"Oh uhm, yes of course." Adam stumbled with his words as he stood. Baran never mentioned anything about meeting the branchmaster herself. That kind of visit was reserved only for nobility and special cases as far as Baran was concerned.
Adam followed the clerk up the stairway and into a long hallway. It was lined with doors, each of which had a specific symbol painted on the top. At the end of the hallway was their destination, the branchmaster's office. The burning figure of a soaring phoenix was emblazoned above a pair of expensive-looking double doors. They were lined with gold, carved with symbols, and engraved with gemstones. It also had a faint glow.
Just before entering, Adam sensed the presence of two individuals inside the room. One of them was calm and collected, his thoughts under strict control. Meanwhile, the other one was excited but bored, his thoughts were awfully familiar too.
Adam didn't like where this was going.
The clerk opened the door and Adam walked inside, finding himself in a room filled with bookshelves, paintings, and item displays. A vast carpet occupied the floor with a geometric design and the air smelled sweet. In other words, it exuded vanity, but was it really?
Adam's eyes then fell on a man standing behind an ornate desk. He wore a suit, surprisingly enough, and had an air of authority around his person. His white hair was combed back, complimenting the hard features of his square face. He looked like a man that had seen it all with his thick brows and watchful black eyes. He looked at Adam with a neutral stare and a slight smile.
"You must be Adam Sun, please, take a seat." The man said, presenting his hand toward an empty seat to the right.
It was only after Adam was invited to sit did he notice the other person in the room sitting in a larger chair.
"Ah! You must be my human partner!" His voice boomed around the room, shaking much of the furniture with his loud tone. He then got up from his chair and walked towards Adam, presenting a fist. The green-skinned humanoid was asking for a fist bump.
Adam complied, of course, in spite of his immense confusion. At least the big fellow wasn't covered in blood anymore.
"Happy to meet you, human! I am Ruk. I am an Orc Berserker."
"Hi... uhm, I am Adam Sun," Adam paused for a moment, unsure as to claim himself a mage or say that he was a psychic. The former sounded safest, "I am a mage."
Wait, Adam thought, what was that about a human partner?