The road became busier and busier as Finn and Kasen neared Welspring. Farmers with ox pulled wagons bursting with fresh produce. Young women with long sticks herded goats to sell at auction. Eager warbands of armed men sporadically traveled to and fro in their search for coin or glory. Merchants in finely woven garments traveled in caravans of pack animals laden with wares from far and near. Finn had never seen such a variety of people as he did now, only a few miles from Welspring. Houses, farms, and simpled buildings became more dense as they continued. The hard packed dirt road transitioned to cobblestone. The tall, stone outer wall of the city seemed to stretch indefinitely as as it curved from the sea to the nearby forest. A castle with various pointed towers and high walls was visible atop a cliff in the far distance, with another large wall surrounding it and the many large building surrounded the area, but they were only specks in the distance.
“Wow. This place is huge. You used to live here?” Finn asked.
“Welspring is the heart of the kingdom. Many thousands of people live here, but even so. Most never venture beyond the inner wall.” Kasen pointed to the distance.
“Anything you could want can be found here, for a price. And any manner of thing may find you as well. We should be careful here.” Kasen warned. “Welspring has seven main regions. Eight if you count the cemetery. Within the outer wall resides residential housing for those of moderate wealth, a commercial port, a huge market and mercantile quarter, the guild district which hosts the many occupational associations. That may be a good place to find work.” Kasen added. “The inner wall is heavily guarded and travel there is largely restricted. Only the wealthiest have homes there and the businesses are mostly artisans that cater to those who have coin for their goods.”
Two guards in heavy plate armor glared at Kasen as Finn he walked by.
“We have no need to go there. We can find anything we need in outer city.”
Finn looked up in wonder as he approached the arc in the wall. A massive iron gate hung above the opening and two colossal wooden doors were swung open on hinges as large as his torso. A queue formed under the gate of those wishing to enter the outer city of Welspring. Finn and Kasen fell in line behind a man with a hand cart full of broccoli. The guard briefly questioned the man about his business while another poked a spear into the pile of vegetables. Bored from the tedium of his post, the guard gestured for the man to move along.
“Business in Welspring?” the gruff guard asked. His armor not dissimilar from that which Kasen donned. He eyed up Kasen and then Finn.
“We want to make money and then buy stuff,” Finn said enthusiastically.
The guarded was completed immune and unaffected by the young hunter’s joy. Ferrety scrambled from Finn’s pack and scurried to ground. He snatched a fallen piece of broccoli and run up Finn’s leg were he munched on his snack.
“Whatever. Just don’t cause any trouble,” the man said as he waved them along. He gave Kasen a sideways glare until he addressed the old man on a donkey that was next in line.
Being in the city was as far removed from his element as possible for Finn. He was awestruck by the endless rows of buildings, maze of roads, and congestion of pedestrians and equines. It seems every few steps had something new to pull Finn’s attention, Kids selling trinkets, women selling baked goods, an old man crying out about cabbages being knocked over, the buskers and performers. There were musicians, contortionist, an acrobatic team that consisted of two elves and a bugbear, and even magicians that shot flames and fireworks from their hands in the shapes of animals that kids would yell out.
“Look Kasen, a bearded woman!” Finn said as he backhanded Kasen’s arm and pointed.
“That just a dwarf Finn.”
“Huh?”
“Hey, you interested in some fine dwarven jewelry from the lost mines?” the women said in a gruff voice, raising a tray of jewelry in one hand, while stroking he long, braided beard with the other. “Or are you just going to be rude and keep pointed at me?”
“Lost mines?” Finn inquired.
“Oh yes. The dwarves have many mines, but one has been lost and forgotten. These fine gemstones of power and luck are all that remains from the lost mines. I’m only selling them feed my twenty-seven hungry children.”
Finn looked the the tray of jewelry. He had never heard of the lost mines or the gemstones of power and luck. That sounded pretty good to him. But the things on the tray just looked like gravel wrapped in small pieces of wire and string. In fact, the gemstones looked the same as much of the stones along the road he stood on. The fact that these powerful gemstones looked so ordinary was intriguing to him. I wanted them, until he remembered.
“I’m sorry I don’t have any money.”
A disgusted look flashed across the stout dwarf’s face but quickly turned innocent.
“That’s okay dear. I guess my kids will have to go another week without food. That is… unless, you wanted to trade?” She pointed to the ice blue gem pendant hanging from Finn’s neck.”
A strong hand gripped Finn’s arm and pulled him forcefully away.
“Come on,” Kasen said. “You have a lot to learn here. Keep your money hidden and put that necklace under your clothes. And… just don’t buy anything without talking to me first. The less honest people here will try to take advantage of you.”
“Not a problem, I can’t buy anything anyway.”
Kasen thought for a moment.
“I know a place that may be able to help with our money problem.”
Kasen guided Finn through the market quarter and into the guild district. There were no street performers or vendors in the guild district. Instead of stalls and markets, there were individual compounds that each housed a large building with symbols or signage indicating the which guild was headquarters there. Kasen explained the guilds are associations of certain professions that form a collective were each member can contribute their expertise to the guild. The main guildhalls were here in Welspring, the most of the guilds operated in corners of civilization. Finn saw guild halls for carpentry, alchemy, blacksmithing, enchanting, mercantile, and even one related to magic. Kasen stopped before a guild hall made of smooth white stone with a vaulted slate roof. There was no sign visible. The only markings were large relief of a crossed bow and sword carved into the stone above the tall iron banded wooden door.
“I’ve never been inside, but with your penchant for getting into and out of danger, they should have some suitable work for us.” Finn studied the clean walled building while Kasen continued. “This is the guild. The Adventure Guild.”
Finn reached for the door when he approached, but before he touched it, the door opened on his own. The two entered what could only be described as a lobby. A row of booths lined the wall. Behind the counter of each booth was person of various races, each wore small metal emblem of the same bow and sword symbol on the outer wall. All but one booth were busy with what Finn assumed to be guild members. Some were heavily armed and armored, others looked defenseless but were clearly wizards or some other sort of magic user. Finn spotted one cat-like person covered in gray fur with a long curling tail. He, well Finn assumed it was a he, wore leather armor with small throwing knifes strapped to his chest and two curved daggers at his waist.
“Can I help you?” came the voice from from behind the open counter.
The pair walked to the counter and were greeted by a warm, chubby face mostly hidden behind a thick, beaded, red beard. Wire framed spectacles sat on the bridge of a bulbous nose.
“Are you here to acquire or deliver? I don’t recognize you two. Are from another branch of the guild?” asked the dwarf peering over the counter.
“I’m not from the guild ma’am,” Finn admitted with a smile.
“Ma’am! In all my two-hundred thirty-six years! Can’t you see I’m a man! I big, burly, strong, and viral dwarven man?”
“I apologize for my friend, he doesn’t get out much,” Kasen said. Kasen couldn’t help but notice the man was quite portly, even for a dwarf.
“Then you’re a customer?” He quickly changed his tone. “You have some doing that needs done? Then you came to the right place. For what services would like to contract our guild?”
Kasen spoke up first. “Actually, we are here for employment. I have recently found myself without patron or service. My friend here, has been… self sufficient. But we are finding our purses light.”
“I see,” the dwarf pushed some papers to the side and studied the men before him. “And what do you think you may bring to the Adventure Guild? Hmmm… ?”
“My name is Kasen. Up until a short time ago, I was a knight in service to the King here in Welspring. I am a skilled fighter and has defeated many beasts and ne’er do wells. I served proudly, defending the King and kingdom… until my service was no longer… required. And Finn here, I have known only for a short time, but he his quick to act and deadly beyond measure with his bow. I have witnessed him several times in battle. We seek employment with the guild.”
“You, Finn is it? Tell me about these battles. What manner of foe have you bested?”
“Well, I used to hunt a lot in the forest with my father, but that was just so we could eat. I did kill a werewolf recently… that sure was a tough time. I didn’t expect it to be a werewolf. Then there were the bandits trying to kill this guy,” he gestured to Kasen. “After that Kasen got eatten by a giant toad, but that worked out ok. Then the harpies and the big bat thing… uhh, the ahool. Too bad I lost my speed arrow. Hmm, oh yeah! The skeletons, necromancer and the flesh monster. Its been real strange since I left the forest, but I made some new friends.” Ferrety scampered onto Finn’s shoulder and received a little head pat.
“Tell me Finn, why did you fight these things? Was it for glory, sport, wealth? What circumstances led you to face such things and live to tell the tale?”
Finn mulled the question over a few times trying to recall why he did those things. The dwarf peered deeply over his spectacles, observing Finn closely.
“I guess it was just to help people mostly. I was asked by people in need… except for the whole necromancer thing. That just kind of happened. But it was self defense,” Finn clarified.
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He scrutinized Finn for several long, quiet seconds until speaking.
“I see. We may have a contract for you two, a simple job.” He began shuffling through a pile of papers and scrolls. After rejecting a few and mumbling things about too deadly, or not having the right skills, he stopped. “This will do. I cannot offer you membership in the guild, but I can offer you a special job. Think of it as a try-out, depending on the outcome of the assignment, there may be additional contracts and maybe admission to the guild. What do you say?”
“Deal!” Finn answered instantly.
Kasen was shocked, but only briefly so at Finn’s lack of questions or concerns. He beginning to understand how impulsive Finn could be. He also didn’t like how the dwarf emphasized the word special.
“Great! Here’s the contract details. It a local job for a repeat customer, a very special client.” He handed Finn the paper and shouted, “Next!”
Finn and Kasen went over the details of the contract, which were very vague. The client was the owner of a shop in the outer mercantile quarter called Amy’s Baking Company. Pest control was scribed on the parchment under the requirement heading. They decided to get started right away.
After getting lost no less than twice, Finn and Kasen arrived in front of a shop that had a sign hanging by the door that read Amy’s Baking Co. with an image of a small pastry underneath. The sweat aroma of barley and fresh bread radiated from the building and mixed with the smell of dung and animal waste in from the pathway. Finn stepped to the door and raised his hand to knock his knuckles. The door violently swung open, catching Finn off guard. A short blonde woman with with eccentric eyebrows stood in the doorway wearing a tight scowl on her face.
“Uh, hi. We’re here for…”
“You’re the adventure guild right?” she snapped. “What took you so long? Don’t you know I have a business to run? Do you think I operate on your schedule? Noooo, I don’t. So get inside and do what I hired you for!”
“Uh, yes ma’am,” Finn stammered before glancing at Kasen and stepping through the doorway. Baking bread overwhelmed his sense of smell. “What exactly is it that you need?”
She snapped a sharp, incredulous glare at Finn. It made him feel small and uncomfortable. “You, will go…into the basement… and take care of the problem!” she vituperated. She stretched a long, boney finger to the wooden door. “Take care of it.”
She spun on her heels to her her the kitchen before Finn could protest.
Finn looked at Kasen and shrugged. “I guess we’ll take care of it.”
“I suppose so. But, what exactly is it that we’re supposed to take care of?”
“Only one way to find out.” Said over his shoulder, walking to the door.
Wooden slats staggered into the darkness under the shop. Kasen peered into the dark stairwell. Memories resurfaced of the undead that ambushed him in the last basement he visited.
“After you, Finn.”
Creeks squeeked from the boards under Finn as he tiptoed down the stairs. Kasen followed, causing the planks to groan under his weight. Finn stepped onto the dirty, stone floor of the basement. A narrow window high on the wall and the open door behind them dimly illuminated the musty room. Small piles of grain and flour stood under sacks filling rows of shelving before Finn. The room was quiet, other than the clunking of Kasen coming down the stairs. Finn’s keen senses detected no dangers or foes in the basement. Why were the sent down here? To clean up the spillage? Finn thought he heard a slight scratching noise behind the racks of grain. Ferrety froze before slinking into Finn’s back, confirming the noise was real. His hand tightened around the bow’s grip as slowly reached for an arrow. Sword slowly pulled from its sheath, shield raised to a fighting stance, Kasen froze on the last two steps.
A large sack rustled on the shelf, two glowing, red orbs visible from a large tear in the cloth. A dark blur leapt from the sack onto the floor, hissing at the men.
“Agghhh!” Kasen screamed, stumbling back. His heel caught on the stair and sent him crashing down, bashing the nape on a stair plank. Finn heard the sound of Kasen slowly thump down the stairs. He pulled hard on the bow string and loosed an arrow at the giant, hissing rat. The arrow pierced the rodent and pinned it to the wooden shelf. Life slowly left the huge rat, kicking and squeaking in a futile attempt to escape its death throes.
Finn looked behind and saw Kasen slumped at the foot of the stairs, unconscious. He kicked his companions foot.
“Hey, wake up! It was just a rat.” The rat twitched one final time. “Well, a big rat, but still.”
Kasen groaned and began to stir, Finn heard something that drew his attention to the stacked sacks. Hissing shadows formed around the stores of baking supplies. Several pairs eyes stared back at him. Light reflected from two long incisors of closest giant rat, it charged at the intruder. A cloud of dust formed as the arrow smacked the flour covered rat, ending its bounding charge with gurgling hiss. The hunter swung the bow at a jumping rat, sending it into the wall in a wet thud. Sharp teeth snapped at Finn’s feet. The arrow pierced the hindquarter of the rat and swiftly withdrew as Finn jumped back with the arrow still in hand. A split moment later, the arrow shattered the rats cranium, whipping the lifeless rodent’s head.
“Arghh! Get it off me! Get!” Kasen kicked at the rat biting his foot in a panic. Still on the ground, he kicked and pushed himself back until his back struck the wall. His sword swung wildly at the rat as he yelled hysterically. A fleshy tail twitched on the ground and the rat lost a piece of its ear in the flurry of steel.
Finn dispatched two more of the rodents with well placed arrows. The last received the blade of his dagger through its jaw and out its skull after it latched its bite on Finn’s bow. Kasen screamed for help.
Finn was bewildered at the sight of the knight on the ground, screaming and swinging his sword wildly. Carved bits of rodent lay scattered on and around the crazed man.
“Uh, Kasen. You got it. We got them all.”
The armored man stopped swinging his sword, opened his eyes, and looked around as if just waking from a nightmare, unsure of reality.
“You alright? They’re just giant rats. I deal with them all the time in the forest.”
He quickly brushed a severed rat head off his lap and scrambled to his feet. Kasen sheathed his longsword, stood upright, and tightened his face to regain his composure and bearing.
“Rats. I don’t like rats, okay. Skeletons, owlbears, manticores, giant toads I can deal with. Rats,” he shuttered. “Nasty, vile creatures. I just don’t like rats.”
“I guess the rats are why we are here.” Finn said. “I guess we should take them up to her, maybe she want to bake with them.”
“I won’t touch those vermin. But if you bag them and I’ll carry it.”
Finn grabbed a couple of torn burlap sacks and dumped their meager contents. The large rats filled three bags when they were done, two slung over Kasen’s shoulders and Finn carried the last. They returned to Amy with their prize.
“We got your giant rats here for you. Hopefully we didn’t damage the meat to much.” Finn said cheerfully.
“What do you mean meat? Are you insane, did you kill them all, did they eat all my flour?” she belting in one breathless barrage.
“Uh, yes ma’am. There are no more giant rats down there. I don’t know about the flour.” Finn answered.
A sour look grew on her face as here eyes focused on the blood soaked sacks.
“Took you long enough. Don’t you know I’m running a business here? Is this the best the Adventure Guild has to offer these days? Hummpff. Well, good enough. Now get out of my shop before you make a bigger mess,” she shooed them to the door.
Finn turned and faced the baker in the doorway. “So what about our payment?”
She looked disgusted, as if Finn said something unimaginably idiotic.
“What are you talking about?”
“For the Adventure Guild contract?”
“Why are you asking me about that, talk to the guild.”
Finn wasn’t sure how to respond.
“So… do you want these rats or….”
A gust of air hit Finn’s face from the door being slammed.
“I guess that means we can keep the rats. What did she mean about going to the guild?”
“Honestly, Im new to this as well. I think perhaps, we should have asked a few more questions before agreeing to take the job. Uh, what do you want to do with rats? I’d rather not carry them around all day and I certainly won’t eat them.” Kasen said.
Finn found a butcher only a few stalls away willing to barter for the rats, on the condition that they don’t tell anyone what they sold him. In exchange, Finn had a few silver coins in his purse. They returned to the guild hall in search of answers.
“Next.” Called the rotund dwarf from behind the counter. “Oh, you two. Hehe, how did you enjoy your time with our special customer?” he laughed.
“She was rather rude,” Finn admitted.
“Hehe, eh, well, if you can handle her you should have no problems with a yeti or cave trolls,” his belly bounced as he laughed. “I see you completed the contract. Here is your share.”
His sausage fingers plopped a small leather pouch of clinking coins onto the counter. Kasen opened the pouch, inspecting its contents and tossed it to Finn.
“I was wondering how we got paid. So we just have to come back here?”
“I see. Yes, I suppose I should have explained that to you earlier.” The dwarf adjusted is eye glasses. “Every contract originates from either a customer, the kingdom, or sometimes the from the guild itself and the guild-masters. All contracts are enchanted which allows us to know if the appropriate conditions have been met. The guild pays members upon completion of the contract, unless otherwise stated. The payment can be collected directly from any Adventure Guild location, of which there are many. The more experiences members of the guild, typically utilize the guild like a bank to store the accumulated bounties. In turn the guild will directly pay for any debts that may be accured by its members, from that members coffers. This is one of the premier benefits offered to members of the guild.”
“Are we members now?” Finn asked excitedly.
“No.” The bearded dwarf paused for a moment, looked the pair over intently. “But you have potential. Return again if you want to try your accept another contract. I think you two are have more potential than rodent extermination.”