We were all up before dawn and were preparing for the day ahead of us.

"I can't believe we really did it," Leo declared.

"Did what?" I asked, still half asleep.

"Escaped! I mean it still doesn't feel real. That whole ride here I was waiting for someone to come and drag us back to the arena," he replied.

"I know what you mean. That place had a way of sucking the hope out of you. It made you afraid to think things could ever get better," Cass added.

"I told you I'd get us out. I meant it," I proclaimed.

"I know. I just didn't dare to believe it," Leo sighed.

I clapped him on the shoulder, "We're going to be okay, Leo, just give it some time."

After a quick breakfast, Telovir led us to the entrance of the Hunters Guild section. It was still early in the day, but this part of town was hectic already. Men and women of all races in full gear rushed between buildings and exchanged notes in the courtyards. I expected to see an enormous single building, but instead, there were five large buildings and a variety of smaller ones connected by cobbled roads. There were vast fields of well-kept grass with tables and stands where adventurers could relax or prepare for their day. The smaller buildings included a general store, a blacksmith, a leatherworker, a tailor, a runeweaver, various reagent and potion vendors, and even a clothing store. The central building was called the Guild Hall. The other four buildings were dedicated to their respective branches and had giant flags with emblems on the front. There was the Silver Sword, Golden Bow, Arcanist's Eye, and a strange symbol of an archway with a swirling portal inside it. Our group entered the main Hall, and I was speechless. It reminded me of one of those ancient Viking great halls. The floor and walls were all made of beautiful wooden planks. The ceiling was adorned with various animal pelts and horns. Monster skulls, armor, and weapons were displayed proudly on the walls. The main hall had dozens of long tables and benches for seating. At the far end of the hall were a kitchen and bar. There were already members inside, seated near the kitchen where a dwarf woman and human man were preparing breakfast.

There were four people seated in a reception area to our immediate right. They sat behind a large wooden desk, and there were elegant wooden chairs for us to sit in. I approached and greeted them, informing them we were looking to join. The first of them to respond was an Elf man who wore a dark black cloak over casual linen clothing. His sharp features and long, pointed ears made him look angry, but his tone indicated the opposite.

"Welcome to the Hall! I am Faelorn. We can each help one of you and guide you through the process. It's fairly simple, to be honest," he informed us happily.

Cass approached a dwarven woman with orange hair with whom she was already speaking casually, and Leo sat with a human man who had a warm smile. I sat across from the elf and greeted him nervously.

"We're not really sure what branch we'd like to join. We want to stick together, though," I told the man.

"Not a problem! Let's start with your full name, class if you have one yet, and a list of your Runes and abilities," he instructed me.

I pulled up my interface and read them off one by one. Faelorn took meticulous notes in a small notebook as I did so. I explained my Runes, abilities, talents, racial benefits, class benefits, and even the capabilities of my familiar. He nodded to himself as he wrote the information down.

"So, today, you'll be issued your Hunters Guild Identification book. It will contain all the information you just told me, as well as some other information we'll decide on later. First, how would you describe your role in combat? I'd recommend Guardian based on your information, but you get to choose," he asked me.

"What is the purpose of choosing a role?" I questioned.

"Roles are typically used to decide who to pair you with for missions. Guardians and Healers are less common, so a typical group will have one of each, and two to four combat-focused roles," he explained.

"Guardian," I confirmed. There was no doubt in my mind that I was anything other than a tank class.

Faelorn nodded enthusiastically. "Great! That fits right in with your skillset," he said.

I wondered what Leo would choose. Cass would certainly pick Attacker or whatever the Guild called it, but Leo could pick Healer, Support, Utility, or even a combat role if he wanted.

"Next, let's go over what profession you'd like to pursue with the Guild. What does your group want to do?" Faelorn asked me.

"We're certainly looking for adventure. We discussed it at length and decided that dungeons and monster hunting interest us the most," I declared.

"Well, for dungeons, you have two real options. Option one is you go with the Adventure Division. Most of the branch is dedicated to dungeons in one way or the other. The second option is to join the ranks of The Golden Bow. They have a specific subdivision that directly handles dungeons," he explained.

"What are the differences between the two?" I asked.

"If you go with the Adventure Division, you're guaranteed to be put into dungeons, but you may be ordered to scout it out or clear a portion of it and report back. There are teams dedicated to completing full dungeons, but it may be a while before you're placed in that position. The Hunters have a subdivision of adventurers called Stalkers. Their primary job is infiltrating dungeons in small groups to grow more powerful and establish their group tactics. Stalkers are often sent to deal with rogue monsters as well. Though there is a drawback, the Guild will call upon you to aid us in times of war or conflict. You'd mostly be out on your own, choosing which dungeons and such you'd want to attack. We will provide guidance and suggestions, however," he told me.

"When you say in times of war or conflict that we'd have to offer aid, in what capacity do you mean?" I inquired.

Faelorn leaned in close and dropped his voice. "Honestly, the purpose of the Stalkers is to train independent teams capable of infiltrating enemy camps or taking out high-value targets. It's not for the faint of heart and has a high mortality rate. Dungeons are dangerous," he explained. I nodded at the response.

Dangerous described my entire existence on this planet so far. I'd still have to consult with Cass and Leo, though. They often thought in ways that enlightened me about other options.

"Of course, more dangerous means higher pay. Starting rate is 8 Gold per week. You also keep any items you find in the dungeons. It's a two-year contract, and afterward, you'd still retain access to certain guild benefits even if you decide not to renew," Faelorn added.

"Can I decide once I talk to my team?" I questioned.

"Of course! Take your time," he replied.

We all finished within a few minutes of each other and moved a short distance away to discuss our options. Telovir joined us, and we each described what the guild representatives told us.

"We could always just go to the dungeons without joining the guild," I said.

"True, but you need the protection right now. From what I understand, it's only a two-year contract. After that, you'd be free to decide what to do next. Even renew your contracts if you want to. You'd also gain access to every guild building and resource across the kingdom, including portal networks. Nearly every major city has a hall like this, and various Guild outposts exist everywhere. However, their greatest asset is the information they can provide," Telovir told us.

"You're not joining?" Leo asked, shocked.

"I am, but I will join the Silswords. I made sure I'll be stationed here in the city for now. Dungeons are not for me. Besides, our levels are too far apart for us to work together," he explained.

We all understood his position. Telovir had lived a long, hard life. He deserved to be stationed in a lovely city with stable pay and remain out of danger.

"So, are we going with the Stalkers?" Cass asked.

"Telovir seems to think it's a good idea, and I agree," I chimed in.

Leo agreed with us, and we returned to the desk. I informed Faelorn of our decision but wanted everything he had told me in writing. He agreed to this and quickly filled out a magical contract with a wave of his hand. He signed it and handed it to me. I also signed it before I stored it in my Cache. Maybe I was being paranoid, but I'd rather have this all documented in case something went wrong. He then brought out a device with a large clear crystal protruding from the front. The crystal had been polished to a reflective finish on the end.

"I need one last thing for your identification. Please look at the end of the crystal," he politely told me.

I did, and the machine began to emit a low hum. It only lasted for a second or two before stopping. Then, with another wave of his hand, my identification booklet appeared. It was a leather-bound book the size of a passport. The cover had the golden bow logo with bold writing underneath it that said:

Hunters Guild Official Document

I opened the book, and there was a picture of me taken moments before by that machine! Incredible. I had no idea you could photograph things here. I had to find out where I could get one. It listed my full name, height, eye color, hair color, and a description of my Rune Tattoo. Under my name, it indicated I was a member of the Hunters - with my subdivision listed as a Stalker. The second page included my class and abilities. There was another page with an intricate stamp of the Hunters Guild's official logo. The rest of the pages were blank.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Why is this all blank?" I asked Faelorn, holding the booklet up.

Faelorn smiled. "That will be filled out as you complete your activities. For now, you'll be restricted to Level 10 and under Normal Dungeons. As you prove your team's capability, that level and rating will increase," he informed me.

"So, where do we begin?" I asked him.

"I can give you some suggestions of nearby dungeons that are suitable for you, or you can report to the Hunter's Hall, where they may be able to provide more detailed information. You'll also need to go there to receive your insignias," Faelorn stated.

We thanked them all and left the central building. Telovir informed us he had to head over to the Silsword Hall, so we agreed to meet back at the tavern for dinner.

The inside of our hall was a giant training area. There were also tables and a small kitchen here, too. There was an archery section, a ring for unarmed combat, a pit of hard sand for melee sparring, and even targets for thrown weapons such as spears or axes. A large man approached us and asked for our identification cards. We provided them and explained we needed our insignias and some information regarding where we should begin.

"Stalkers? Oh, you'll want to talk to Nerzhyn. She's the commanding officer," he declared.

"Where can we find Nerzhyn?" I prodded.

"She's over in the Stalkers quarters of the Hall. You'll find the entrance at the far end of the hall, near the kitchen," he said.

I thanked the man and headed toward the kitchen. Once we approached, I noticed a door leading to another room just past the busy kitchen. It had the words 'Commander Nerzhyn' engraved onto it in bold letters.

We entered the room and found a dark elf behind a large desk, speaking to a group of five humans.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt. We're looking for Nerzhyn." I told them. The elf dismissed the group and waited for them to leave the room before she spoke.

"You've found her. What brings you here?" she asked us in a melodic voice.

"We just joined the Hunters, we came here for our emblems, and were told to report to you," I responded while trying not to stare at the beautiful elf.

She smiled, showing off a pair of small fangs. Her jet-black hair hung loosely across her shoulders, and her all-black eyes seemed to sparkle. She wore a white top that complimented her light blue skin perfectly. She began to walk around the desk, but her movements seemed off to me. She moved so gracefully that I thought she might be floating.

Leo froze as she rounded the desk and approached us. Nerzhyn was not a dark elf but a dark elf's upper half on top of a spider's abdomen and legs. She noticed his reaction and stepped back.

"I'm an Arachnitaur. Is that going to be a problem?" she asked while staring at Leo.

"No, not at all! He's just terrified of spiders," I replied, fearing that we had offended the Stalker leader.

"Oh, is that all?" Nerzhyn said with a laugh. "I feared you had concerns over my species'... unfortunate past," the woman added. She greeted each of us individually, asking our names. Leo even managed to stammer out his name. I would have to ask Leo what that comment meant, as I didn't have the courage to ask the woman to explain further.

She went back to her desk, opened a drawer, and retrieved three crests. She approached the now visibly trembling Leo and placed his insignia on his robe, whispering something in his ear as she did, then approached me. I mentally equipped my pauldrons, which caused her to raise an eyebrow. The Stalker Commander delicately placed the insignia onto my pauldron. It appeared to stay in place magically. She leaned in close and whispered into my ear.

"Welcome to the Stalkers." Her soft voice made my legs weak, and I became dizzy momentarily. For a second, I thought I may be fainting. Nerzhyn's incredible smell coupled with her sultry tone was intoxicating. The feeling passed quickly, though, and left me curious to know if that was an Arachnitaur ability or if she was just so powerful that her voice alone could weaken me.

"Remember that feeling," she added afterward.

She repeated the procedure with Cass, who had the same reaction to her voice as me. I felt better. At least, it was probably some ability the elf-spider used. I removed my armor and inspected the new addition before adding it back to the Cache. Our new logos were identical to the standard Hunters', but if you looked closely, a tiny spider was carved into the center of the Golden Bow.

"Was this division named in your honor, Nerzhyn?" I asked respectfully.

"It was not. Although, it was one of my kin. That was thousands of years ago when I was still a tiny spiderling," she replied.

"Well, you look fantastic for your age, if I may say so." I complimented her. If I had to guess, I would have assumed she was in her twenties.

She winked at me, and I realized I may have just flirted with a spider. I smiled anyway.

"Faelorn instructed us to come here for guidance. Do you have any suggestions on where we should go for our first dungeon?" Cass asked her.

She asked us for our identification books and returned to her desk. As she read mine, she began glancing at me with curious eyes. I couldn't help but examine her.

[Nerzhyn Loome - Level 182 Dreamweaver]

"You're not from here," she said to me. It wasn't a question.

"No, I'm something of a... visitor," I responded.

She didn't open her mouth or respond, yet I heard her voice in my head quite clearly.

Can you truly understand any language?

At first, I worried it was telepathy and that maybe she could read my mind. It took a moment for me to realize she was using her vocal cords to produce barely audible vibrations. Once the sounds reached my ears, my brain translated them into words I could understand.

I focused hard and attempted a response telling her that I understood. I felt the vibrations in my throat but struggled to actually hear the sounds I produced. She laughed joyfully and clapped her hands together.

"Amazing! I've never met anyone other than my kin who can understand Arach, let alone speak it!" she said out loud. I managed another response in the strange language.

Your tone is wrong. You speak without emotion. The rhythm you use indicates your emotional state. I will teach you, Alex.

She used a different rhythm for each sentence. The first was scolding, then content, sorrowful, and finally passionate. It was as if she changed her voice with each sentence. Cass questioned the exchange, and I had to explain that we were speaking in the commander's native tongue.

"What kind of class is a Dreamweaver?" I asked our new superior.

She smiled at the question and approached me. The elf-spider was at least a foot taller than me at her full height. She held her hands out, and thick mist poured from them. It completely enveloped her body and obscured her. Once the mist dissipated her lower half was no longer that of a spider. Nerzhyn appeared every bit a true dark elf, now actually a few inches shorter than me, and admittedly, I stared in awe. Her white blouse had changed into a stunning red dress that clung tightly to her skin.

"We employ a form of manipulation magic mixed with illusion magic," she added.

"So it's an illusion?" I asked.

A teasing voice responded in my head.

They're quite real if that's what you're asking.

Her tone and the way she said that made me blush. I desperately tried to think of a witty response, but the commander spoke first.

"Dreamweavers can physically alter themselves and their allies," she said for the benefit of the others. Leo was noticeably more relaxed after her transformation. He even asked her some questions, although he avoided her gaze.

"So, you'd be able to make my skin into steel or something like that?" I probed further.

"If your mind would allow it, yes. It's powerful magic, but it cannot overcome your will. If you resist the enchantment, it will fail. Also, the time it lasts on people other than myself is minimal. The mana required to change another person is extremely high," the elf answered.

Cass and Leo asked questions about dungeons and what to expect. Eventually, I had to ask the question we all wanted to know the answer to.

"What dungeon should we attempt first?" I asked our new commander.

"I would suggest The Bloodfall Burrows. It's not far from the city, a two-hour walk at the most. It is a difficult dungeon, and it is rated Level 10 - Normal Difficulty. Technically, it is recommended that a team of four attempts the Burrows, but since you have a familiar, I think your team will do just fine. Remember, this is not a game. The Burrows are deadly, and one mistake can cost you dearly," she said seriously, any hint of playfulness gone from her voice.

We agreed to take on the dungeon, and Nerzhyn manifested a contract for each of us. It stated that if we bring proof that we conquered the Burrows, we'd each be rewarded with 50 Gold.

"What kind of proof is required?" Leo questioned.

"You'll know it when you see it," the woman said with a smirk but refused to tell us more.

Cass cleared her throat, and Leo gave me an expectant look. It seems they had chosen me to tell the Commander about our problems in Larell.

"Sorry, Nerzhyn, there is one more thing," I declared with some hesitation.

I proceeded to explain what had happened to us. I explained that the Bainmourths were operating an illegal arena and dealing in slaves. I told her about our escape and the fear we had of retaliation.

Nerzhyn frowned, "This is not the first time I've heard of something going on in Larell. I will send an envoy to the capital immediately to relay this information. I need to be honest with you, though, there's a good chance nothing will come of it. I know previous investigations into the city haven't yielded any results. The Bainmourths, on the surface, appear squeaky clean. However, you should not fear retaliation," she replied.

Nerzhyn then explained that the Guild was not permitted to involve itself in politics unless one of its members was involved. A previous meeting of the leaders of most major nations had demanded that limit be placed on the Guild as it grew in influence and numbers. Apparently, The Hunters Guild was a major institution all across not just the country, but the entire world.

"So if Liana or Lord Bainmourth try anything, they'd be opening the door for the Guild to involve itself," I stated.

"Exactly, they may be scum, but they aren't fools. Harming any of you now would topple their whole city," Nerzhyn replied.

We thanked her and left the room. Well, Cass and I did the thanking. Leo just kind of stumbled away. There was something she wouldn't tell us. The way she told me to remember the feeling of how her voice had enchanted me felt like a warning.

"It finally feels real, like we're putting that whole story behind us," I told my team.

"Yeah, good riddance. I hope that shithole burns the ground," Cass added.

Leo was still stiff but nodded in agreement.

"If we're going to be working closely with Nerzhyn, you're going to have to overcome your fear, Leo," I scolded.

"Yeah, only look at the top half or something. It's not that hard. She's gorgeous," Cass added.

"I know, right? I'm going to ask her out," I stated proudly, which made Cass scoff at me.

"What's wrong with that?" I protested.

"Well, let's see. She's our superior officer. She's thousands of years old, and who knows what level. Oh, and she's only the third woman you've met on the entire fucking planet," Cass rebuked.

She did have a point or two. Thankfully, she left out the part where she was half spider.

"I'm going to ignore all that. I'm taking the chance. I felt a connection," I declared.

"Alex, she used a charm spell on each of us. That's what the whisper was. You're just charmed. It will wear off," Leo said confidently. I decided I'd let my friends believe that.

We explored the Guild section thoroughly before returning to the tavern. Four large roads formed a square around the giant main Hall. The majority of specialty shops were located on a cobbled road that ran parallel to the main Hall. It was a wide road, and absolutely loaded with various shops and building on each side. I suspected you could find just about anything you ever needed for adventuring on this one road.

My eyes landed on a building I was sure I'd be frequenting. Smoke billowed out of multiple chimneys on the roof, and I could hear the sound of hammers pinging off of steel inside. It was like music to my ears. I entered the shop, noting that the place was called "The Iron Draelok" according to the sign on the door. Two younger men who looked similar enough to be brothers were busy hammering on red-hot pieces of metal as I walked inside. I noticed the Prime Rune on each of their shoulders depicted a hammer and anvil. There was a huge variety of weapons and armor on display around the shop. I watched as one of the smiths delicately removed a sword from the forge with tongs. The sword was so hot it was glowing orange as he plunged it into a container of black oil. The liquid sizzled and crackled as smoke billowed upward. He removed the sword, which was no longer glowing, and gently placed it on his anvil, then walked over to me.

"Most important part right there. If the heat treat is wrong, the weapon'll be useless. Welcome to the Draelok, what can we do for ya?" the smith asked.

"I'm new in town, just joined the Guild. Wanted to stop by and introduce myself as I'll probably be needing your services sooner or later. I'm Alex" I replied while extending my hand. He grasped my hand and shook it.

He pointed a thumb at himself, "Ned, that's my cousin Lucas over there." he informed me. Lucas grunted in response, but just kept working.

"This place is amazing. Are you the owners?" I questioned.

"I wish! We're both Ms. Maddy's apprentices. She's out at the moment, or she'd be shouting at me to get back to work." Ned chuckled.

I was about to ask what a Draelok was when I noticed Cass and Leo giving me impatient looks, so instead I thanked the pair for their time and said I'd visit again soon. I could have spent the rest of the night in there just looking at the equipment for sale. I'd have to come back when we had more time.

We proceeded to visit a few of the other shops and tradespeople and introduced ourselves. Mostly everyone was warm and welcoming. A road that ran perpendicular to the previous one hosted mostly places of lodging, restaurants, taverns, and Inns. The third road on the opposite side of the Hall was housing. There were tons of houses and even plenty of rental homes available. I placed a deposit on one that allowed familiars until we could return with our things and finalize the deal. It was a moderately sized home with four bedrooms, a kitchen and dining area, a bathroom, and a lounge. It would cost 4 Gold per week to rent, but I offered to pay 2 Gold since I had Teos with me, and the others could decide how to split the rest. The lion had been sending me waves of mental boredom all day, so I decided to visit him before returning to the tavern. He was like an excited dog when he spotted the three of us approaching, and the stable hand backed away fearfully. I couldn't blame him, Teos was a terrifying sight even when he was happy.

The three of us said goodbye to my familiar and went back to the tavern to meet up with Telovir and see how his day had gone. When we arrived, he was already seated at a table waiting for us. I sat down, showed off my new emblem, and then unequipped the shoulder armor. Cass told him about our meeting with Nerzhyn and Leo's reaction, as well as the house we planned to rent. Telovir agreed it was a great idea, but insisted we rent the house without him. He proceeded to tell us about his experiences in the Silver Sword Hall. He also explained he'd be on guard duty on the walls most days but had nights off, and would always be nearby if we needed him. I was sad but understood that he probably wanted his privacy.

We ordered some food and a round of ale. before calling it a night. Tomorrow, we'd take on our first dungeon.