The Adventurer’s guild of Meritand was bustling. There were two information counters maned by well-tailored men. The lines to the information desk were rather short so I stood behind a group who was talking about taking up a job. They were told basic information about the job they would be under-going and wished well while the well-dressed attendant took down their information. It was my turn in line I stepped forward and introduced myself “Hello, I’m Davit.” I said.

“I’m Victor. What can I help you with, Davit?” said Victor

“I was wondering how I go about joining the adventurer’s guild?” I asked.

“Pay a years dues in advance or go upstairs to the new recruitment desk and ask to be rated.” Victor said.

“What is different about those two options?” I asked him

“Rated members are people who can fight toe to toe with monsters, and they have a separate contribution system based on jobs completed. People that rely strictly on a group have to pay dues.” Victor stated.

“I guess I’ll head upstairs then.” I said to victor, making to leave.

“Good luck lad, you’re going to need it.” Victor told me.

I made my way upstairs and found the “new recruit” desk. Behind it sat a giant of a man. As always I introduced myself.

“Hi, I’m Davit, I would like to be rated.” I told him.

“Wouldn’t everyone like to be rated, Davit?” the huge man asked me.

“I guess so, but I was told downstairs to come to this desk and ask to be rated.” I explained.

“Who put you up to it?” the man asked me.

“No one, It was dues or be rated, so I choose to be rated.” I told him.

“You’ve got balls kid. Lets head to the arena on seventh street so we can get this trial started.” The huge man told me as he raised himself up to his full height and flipped over the sign that said “New Recruits”.

“Is asking to be rated that uncommon?” I asked him.

“Members with ratings tend to be in the top five percent of the adventurer’s guild.” The huge man confided.

“Oh.” I said.

“Yeah.” The big man responded.

We walked three streets down and came to an small arena with a sandy floor. There were several groups of town guards practicing various formations but there was plenty of space for us on one side of the arena. The big man indicated a dummy some twenty paces away.

“How much damage can you do to that dummy in say, one minute?” The big man asked me while producing a small hourglass.

I smiled thinking of my best approach. I summoned my bow to my hand and the instructor gave a startled expression followed by a tiny smile. I would do my best to make a good impression on this man. He indicated to start so I let fly four arrows in rapid succession, I stored my bow and began to trot forward I let to attacks fly from my small hand crossbows before I engaged the target with an axe at melee range hewing and hacking for all I was worth.

“Stop. I am instructor Vargo. I’ll be pleased to give you the rest of the test.” A new figure appeared

“You can go Vargo, I’ve got this one.” The big man said

“I was only having you watch my desk Thom.” Vargo said.

“Aite, well this kid is a natural.” Thom said.

“I can see that.” Said Vargo.

Thom the big guy was walking away towards the arena entrance. It seems the real exam proctor was here now and I had been duped before.

“The next test is a test of endurance. Run ten laps around the arena before the time limit expires.” He said indicating a large hourglass.

This would be a cake walk for me. I had no problem with the ten laps and was back long before the time expired. I was a bit out of breath but no worse for wear.

“What’s the next test?” I asked Vargo.

“Combat against an instructor. That’s why Thom was so eager to be your proctor.” Vargo explained.

“I am supposed to fight you?” I asked hesitant.

“Let us begin.” He clapped his hands and produced a wooden practice sword.

I summoned my quarterstaff to hand and began to rotate it ready to snap it out in an instant. There was a brief pause as the instructor considered the weapon. Then he pulled another practice sword seemly from nowhere. Obviously he had some form of dimensional storage device.

We circled each other a few times before he made the first attack, he was beaten back in an instant the flurry of blows I unleashed as he drew near chipping his practice swords. I stepped forward and gave him a lunge followed by a swipe he batted the lunge away and double blocked the swipe before running towards me blades still pressed against my staff. He delivered a powerful kick to my chest and the fight almost ended there.

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I sat wheezing as he approached to finish me off. I started twirling my staff over my head in a less than combat ready display to ward him off. He took it in stride and attacked four times in rapid succession, the first I parried with the staff, the second I rolled to my left, the third I knocked out of line with a little luck, the fourth caught me in the thigh as I came to my feet. With a meaty Thwak! The fourth blow nearly took my feet from me. The instructor backed off to assess the damage he had inflicted between his kick and what would defiantly be a bruise on my thigh. It wasn’t going well I could tell so I summoned all my remaining reserves and began to twirl my staff like a man possessed.

I struck out at the instructor at maximum distance than feinted before attacking again, rushing forward to use both the bottom and top of the staff as a striking implement. I got him two good times before his mock sword found my throat. The look on the instructor’s face was suddenly amused.

“I don’t think you earned a rating today.” Was the only thing instructor Vargo said to me before walking off the sand.

I was a bit crestfallen all of a sudden. I had thought my performance had gone well. I had even managed two blows on the instructor. “Why was I not good enough?” I called out to him as he walked away.

He didn’t respond and I felt hot tears on my face. Shame at my disappointment in myself. I quickly fled the training area. I was several blocks away my breath blowing out of me when I regained my composure. It wasn’t a refusal to join the adventurer’s guild it was just a failure at becoming one of the elite rated members. I wondered for awhile what I could have done differently but ultimately decided without knowing the criteria with which I was being judged I can’t have changed my performance.

A few days later after I had practiced another few katas with my staff and eaten a few warm meals with my family, I finally worked up the courage to return to the adventurer’s guild. At the counter I paid one years dues which amounted to six silver coins and was given a little bronze badge that marked me as a member of the adventurer’s guild. When I asked “How should I find a party?”

“Most adventuring parties interview new members at a local tavern called the scruffy pony.” The functionary told me

I was off to find the scruffy pony. It was hard to miss as the sign featured a beleaguered horse and the words scruf ony barely visible in fading paint. I made my way inside, to my right a long counter featured stereotypical bar stools. To my right wide circular tables in wide open areas. It was rather large for a bar. I went immediately to the tavern keeper and asked “Do you know where I can find a reliable party.”

To which he only raised an eyebrow.

“I was told this was the place to interview for an adventuring party.” I insisted

“Aye it is, but ye be rather scrawny lad.” The barkeep said with a grin.

“How does it work?” I asked.

“They look for new people sitting at the bar, then challenge them to a fist fight most likely to test their metal. If anyone catches their eye, they take them into their band.” The barkeep said with a jovial smile.

“How does it really work?” I asked doubtful.

“Each group takes a table, go around to each table and introduce yourself, if they have a need for what you can do, they’ll take you on.” The barkeep said sullenly.

“Thanks, can I get a mead or a stout?” I asked him.

I paid a silver for what was a pretty good stout. I took my drink and went table to table introducing myself as davit the fighter ranger. I was starting to feel like it was all a bit stupid when I came upon a party of three. They were all young if looks could tell. Two women and a man. “I am Davit, a multi-capable fighter ranger. Do you guys need a strong front-line fighter for your group?” I asked.

“We do.” The two women said in unison eyeing me carefully.

“What weapons do you fight with?” The younger woman said.

“Bow, crossbow, sword, axe, staff, spear.” I told her pulling each of out of dimensional storage ring and demonstrating before switching to the next.

“Bravo.” Said someone at a nearby table impressed with the show of casual magic.

“We’d be happy to have you. Come have a seat. I am Peter and this is Casandra and Elena.” Said the man at the table. The man indicated Casandra the younger and to her right seated was Elena the older woman.

“What are your roles in the group?” I asked.

“I am a water mage, and I focus on dealing damage.” Said Casandra.

“I am a summoner, I can summon three different creatures depending on what the situation calls for.” Said Elena.

“I am an archivist. I focus on picking locks and breaking traps. Oh and I can use magical wands and devices to aid us in combat” Said Peter.

“Now all we need is to find a job.” Said Casandra.

“Or a trainer.” Said Elena looking at Casandra.

“Enough of that, we really don’t need any more practice.” Said Peter.

“Are any of you rated?” I asked them.

They all laughed and not a ha-ha laugh but a deep and sincere laughter. Ok I guess hoping my comrades would be that high of a level was out but maybe we’d get there some day.

“That’s like asking wild cats if they are lions.” Said Peter.

“He really must not know, but rated adventurers are called because their talents are so advanced they can charge their own rate.” Said Elena.

“Ok so we go to the job board then.” Said Peter.

I declined to go to the job board saying I was on board with what ever job or request they picked and Casandra did the same.

“We are new to this.” Said Casandra.

“Aren’t we all.” I said.

“Yeah but we are very new, this will be our first mission.” Casandra said.

“How many missions do you think I’ve been on?” I asked her.

“Surely more than us with your storage ring and all.” She replied

“Nope, this will be my first outing with a team.” I told her.

“I hope they don’t pick something stupid.” She confided.

I suddenly sensed that she might be a psychic, or that perhaps she just cursed us.

“Hey, they seem pretty competent.” I tried to steer the conversation.

“They are, but I still half expect them to come back with a merchant escort mission.” Casandra said sourly.

“What would be wrong with that?” I asked her.

“We don’t know any of the roads or passes, we’d be next to useless to a real caravan.” Casandra explained.

“Ah, so why didn’t you go select the job for us if your such an expert?” I quizzed her.

“I’m not an expert, but I do know a bit about merchant caravans.” She answered.

“The job though, why did you send those two to select it without you if your so worried?” I asked her.

“Its not really my place to try to lead the group, I’m just a damage dealer.” She answered.

“I think its fine if everyone plays some role in deciding our fate.” I told her.

“Then why didn’t you participate in the job hunt?” Casandra turned the question on me.

“I feel comfortable doing what ever kind of job they select, I’m sure.” I answered honestly.

About that time the other two came back to the table. Peter was holding a scrap of paper with some details sketched out on it roughly. It was a map of local goblin attacks. They had picked goblin extermination as our job. I was hesitant to tell them off after just suggesting my confidences in them to Casandra. I instead said “Oh, what made you choose this one?”

“It’s the best paying job right now for non-rated members. It pays a flat silver per pair of goblin ears.” Said Peter excitedly.

That actually did make a little sense. If they were all first-time adventurers it would make sense they needed the money. I had all the money I could want but its not like I was about to share that fact with my new teammates. They really didn’t need to know the state of my finances lest they jealously murder me in the woods. Without further ado we headed south out of the city into the goblin infested marshlands between my home city of Meritand and the capital.