The afternoon was just settling in when they found the Tailor’s house. It was in the victorian style with a large balcony looking over the narrow street. White pillars held aloft angled rooftops while crenelations dotted the outside, narrowed into points as they wrapped around the outside of the building. It stood out besides its neighbours, two skinny houses that had fallen into disrepair.
The district they found themselves in was called the Artisan’s district. It compiled a whole section of the city devoted to various professions involved in the arts of crafting. Blacksmiths and artists, musicians and tailors, various restaurants and theatre houses displayed all of their various skills in a hodgepodge collection of colours. Overtopping them all stood the Artisan's guild, a towering profusion of a building that incorporated various styles of architecture that kept the eyes constantly moving as the bright colours were hard to focus the eyes on one place at a time.
The streets were filled with action as apprentices entered and left buildings, carrying various supplies to and for their mentors. Emera noticed that this section held less players than the rest of the city. She pointed it out to Bella who answered.
“Well, it is obvious isn’t it? Players only want to do battle and level their characters, preferring to buy their supplies rather than make them. It is a shame for them though, as everyone knows that an artists best creation they save for themselves.” She said with a glimmer in her eye.
Emera had to agree with that. If she could make something so great for herself, then she could sell off her outdated equipment, keeping her newest and greatest creations for herself. She decided right then and there that she would be the best tailor in the world. That is, if they could find a mentor.
The tailor, Klora, had already found two new apprentices in the form of a couple of players. When her and Bella knocked on the door and found the tailor Klora instructing the two girls, they realized quickly that this place was most definitely not for them.
Klora herself was an abrasive woman who would get on their nerves quickly, her tone of voice mocking and patronizing at the same time. Not to mention that even her maid was a snooty woman who stuck her nose up at the sight of their shoddy clothing.
The two future apprentices were likewise obnoxious, their voices took on a tone of condescending as they noticed the two starting players, one a barbaric fairy and the other a girl probably so ugly that she had to wear a hood. They spurned the two girls, especially Emera, as they flipped their hair at them and mockingly told them to find another mentor elsewhere, her voice a lilting quality that swiftly got the two riled up.
Bella had to hold Emera back as she flailed her arms uselessly at the two girls who stood there gloating.
“I believe you two are as barbaric as you seem. You would do well with Fritchy. Poor lady is as barbaric as you two! Even more so! You would suit her just fine.” Klora sneered, her hand shooing them towards the door.
Once they reached the doorstop, their quest updated in front of them to reflect Klora’s words.
Quest Updated! - Bercome the Barbarian's Apprentice
Klora the tailor has shunned your clothing and your appearances. Taking this to heart, she has patronizingly told you to meet with the Barbarian tailor, Fritchy. This has significantly increased the difficulty of your quest as Fritchy has not taken an apprentice in five years! If you can make her accept you, the Barbarian may be able to teach you something!
Reward: Tailoring Profession, ?
Failure: Fail to impress Flitchy. The cost of failure means that no Humanoid race will teach you Tailoring!
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Level: Hard
They had no choice to either deny or accept the quest as it was an update to their current one, so the two girls dejectedly circled the artisan district., asking artists and their apprentices where the Barbarian Flitchy lived. Sadly, no one seemed to know.
“Humph, Klora seemed like a self-centered bitch anyways. We don’t need her!” Bella stated adamantly.
Emera wholeheartedly agreed. From her brief experience with the woman and her two apprentices, they reminded her too much of Sarah and her cronies. It was for the best. They planned to give it a nights sleep and set out in the morning to find the barbarian tailor. Bella allowed her to sleep in the room she rented from the inn, seeing as Emera barely had any money. With a goodnight, Emera lay on the pallet they setup and thought about her day.
It seemed like so long ago that she had started the game, and yet it felt more like home than the real world ever could for her. A place where she felt she belonged. Nevermind the fact that if she took off her hood and people saw her elven features, she was sure to be captured and sold into slavery by the human NPC’s. Or if she were lucky enough to run into an Elf NPC, she were to likely end up dying.
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Her troubles bothered her, leaving her restless as she desperately sought escape from the moonlight that shadowed her and enter the depths of sleep. It was not to be as midway through the night the very thought of sleep became a lot harder.
Emera sat awake, restless and craving the freedom of sleep, when someone entered their room via the window.
Blanketed by moonlight, the outline of the intruder was visible within the depths of night. It wore a floor length cloak, completely obscuring the figure beneath it. Soundless slippers made of fine cloth stepped down lightly onto the polished wood floor as quietly as can be, the figure hunched over as it did something completely unexpected just as Emera was about to scream.
The figure wobbled over to the corner of the room, its arm clutching something to its chest as it slumped into the corner, a shuddering breath releasing as the figure sat there, staring blankly down at the thing it clutched to its chest. It started to cry, quiet sobs so as not to wake the sleeping players inside the room.
Emera was awash with curiosity as the figure continued to clutch its arm around its chest. As quietly as she could, she slinked over towards the huddled character. The figure’s eyes were still downcast so Emera had an easy time of not being seen.
She silently reached a hand out while whispering as faint as she could.
“Are you ok? Are you injured?” she asked the figure, her hand briefly touching the figure’s cloak before it seized up in panic and alarm.
She tried hushing the figure as it gave out a yelp of alarm, scooting over quickly as Emera tried soothing it. Emera was surprised when the figure’s cloak fell away to reveal a smooth face lined with worry. Tear tracks snaked their way down the figure’s cheeks as it let out another whimper.
Only, the figure didn’t whimper, but the area around its chest did. Emera looked closely as for a brief moment moonlight spread into the room. What she saw left her own chest breathless as she gazed into the figure’s arms. Beside a large gash in the figure’s tunic, blood trickled down to a bundle of blankets as something squirmed within as yet another whimper let loose.
The figure sushed and the blanket went limp yet again before he- for the figure was definitely a boy now that moonlight provided her enough light to see- gazed up at her, tears continuing to fall.
“Take...care of...him, please.” His voice faltered in between words as a trickle of blood trailed from his mouth. His eyes slowly glazed and his arms slackened, nearly dropping the bundle before Emera caught it.
The boy lay dead not a moment later.
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Emera sat there, unsure of what to do as she held the bundle the boy had offered her.
Ever so slowly, she peeled away the blood soaked bundled blanket.
Sat within lay a small child, barely a year old, his eyes open wide as he stared up at her with deep green eyes, curiosity held within them.
Error: Unscripted Quest line. Quest [King of the World] Off Track. Failed to contact AI. Failed to contact developers.
New Quest! - A Kingly Problem Look after the future King.