Quest Complete! (closed for Apollo Wilde and BewareTheDream)

[BewareTheDream]

"Good people of Hub! Attention, good people of Hub!"

A young man stood atop the great, stone base of a statue in the middle of a busy city square. He raised his voice loud enough to catch the attention of several people passing by. Not only that, but since he was standing on the statue dedicated to one of the city's greatest heroes, there was no way he wouldn't attract stares.

The man wore a bright smile that widened when he saw he was beginning to gather an audience. He spoke with aplomb, which was sure to keep them hanging off his every word.

"It is I - Vodrick'Avor Vyrellen, the Summoner of Solstice! After many years filled with intense training and thrilling adventures in far-off realms , I have returned at last to the city of my birth! I am here to become your newest - and best! - hometown hero!"

"Hah! Another adventurer who thinks too highly of himself." A heckler called out from the crowd. "You guys are a dime a dozen." The crowd began to disperse, some of them chuckling. Near the front of the crowd was a blonde mother who carried a baby in a papoose and held onto the hand of a little girl old enough to help mommy with her daily chores. The little girl wanted to stay and listen to the strange man on the statue some more, but her mother pulled her away.

"You should've stayed away, Vodrick!" A portly cook, whose shop was there in the square, yelled out from the dwindling crowd. "Hub don't want you back after what you did!"

The summoner found the cook, immediately. Sneering, leaned forward, pointing angrily with one hand while his other hand held onto one of the statue's legs. The gesture and the pose were done so dramatically, he looked as though he was the lead actor of a play and this square was his stage.

"Shut up, Lenny, you pitiful, little man! One more word out of you, and I'll tell everyone that you've been using rat meat in your meat pies since I was a kid!"

Lenny the cook stood with his mouth agape for several seconds. Then he turned red with rage and stormed off. The blonde mother from before was actually on her way to Lenny's shop to pick up dinner for the family, but after hearing what the adventurer said, she gasped, then lead her children in the opposite direction.

Vodrick was pleased that he could defeat Lenny so soundly with his words alone. Unfortunately, that vicious outburst didn't win him any new fans. Frowning, he watched the remainder of his crowd disappear. Oh well. Easy come, easy go.

"These idiots don't believe me, huh?" He said, apparently to himself. He was still standing on the base of the statue, his arms on his hips and his face defiant as though he was posing for a statue of his own. "Fine. Since my word isn't enough, I'll just have to show them."

With that, he hopped off the tall, stone block, landed lightly on his feet, then turned around to face the statue. Directly in front of him was a plaque that read:

Archmage Lioredes. Hub flourished because of his wisdom and protection. Its people will be forever thankful.

Vodrick read the plaque, which he had ready countless times growing up, then looked up at the stone figure of, arguably, Hub's most famous hero. If you looked up "wizard" in a dictionary, you'd see someone like Lioredes, with his long beard, flowing robes, and elaborate staff, all of which were immortalized in stone by whoever the greatest sculptor was 300 years ago.

Vodrick'Avor didn't look anything like Archmage Lioredes. His face was young, and his eyes were exuberant, whereas the stone face that looked out upon the square was somber, aged, expressionless. While Lioredes wore the customary robes of a mage, Vodrick thought the look was a laughable cliché, and so he preferred clothing better suited for life on the road. Like that day, he wore a belted tunic, light brown leather pants, rugged boots that he'd broken in months ago, and a thick cloak made from a vibrant blue material. All of his clothing was simple and utilitarian in design, yet finely crafted and custom tailored.

Oh, and a staff? Please. Anyone who carried around a long stick all day was probably overcompensating for something. Vodrick held nothing in his hands, although he did have a variety of magical goodies tucked away in pouches and in the various pockets sewn into his garments.

Grinning up to the statue, Vodrick spoke to it.

"You won't be Number One in the history books for much longer, Lio." The summoner gave the statue a single finger-gun, clicked his tongue, then turned to make his way down a street.

"Come along, Bloom. Let's pay a visit to the Adventurer's Guild. There's no better place to start building my legacy than there." He appeared to be talking to himself. If anyone noticed, he didn't care.

*****

Hub was one of the biggest, most important cities in the Kingdom of Solstice. Because it was built on fertile lands nourished by the Blue Venture River, Hub couldn't help but grow big and get even bigger throughout the centuries. And because it was located near the center of the kingdom, it became one of the wealthiest trade cities in the known world.

There were four major roads that lead to and from Hub:

The Gryphon Road ran north, to the capital of Solstice - Vigil - where the Vigilant King sat upon a throne of enchanted mithril.

The Dragon Road ran east, towards the mysterious Empire of Kiviri, past the Aegis Mountains.

The Wizard's Way lead west, to the magical realm of Elsewhere, ruled by a council of mages.

The Troll Road went south. Nobody liked the Troll Road. There was nothing but trouble in that direction, so the only people who dared to take the Troll Road were adventurers, brigands, people with no choice, or people without a lick of sense.

Not only did Hub naturally attract a lot of trade, it also attracted adventurers from all over the continent. A city filled with inhabitants meant there were a lot of potential customers with quests to complete. All of the business that flowed through Hub meant there was a lot of gold to fill adventurer's purses. And because there were dungeons scattered across Solstice, as well as monsters galore down the Troll Road, there were boundless opportunities for treasure and experience.

Hub was an adventurer's paradise, which is why the Hub Adventurer's Guild often had the highest adventurer registration count among any of the guilds sanctioned by the Worldwide Adventurer's Guild Alliance, or WAGA. It's also why the Hub Adventurer's Guild had one of the nicest guild halls around. That was the place where Vodrick'Avor went next.

 

[BewareTheDream]

Vodrick didn't merely enter the Hub Adventurer's Guild - he burst through the door with unbridled excitement. It had been a long time since he'd been inside, and boy had it changed. The entire interior had been remodeled at some point. All the furniture was new. All the decorations were fancier. There was a whole wall covered in trophies that showed some of Hub adventurers' most glorious achievements. The building even got an extension to make it bigger than it was the last time he saw it.

But a few things had not changed. It was bustling with activity, just like he remembered. Adventurers of all different classes, gimmicks, shapes and sizes were coming and going. They went to the tavern area to socialize, eat, and recharge. They went to the training halls to improve their combat proficiencies or learn new magical spells. Different parties used the various conference rooms to discuss quests, monsters, or strategies. Or, most important of all, adventurers stopped by the quest board to see what was posted.

Ah, the quest board. It was directly in front of the main doors, just like Vodrick remembered. Like a siren singing her hypnotic tune, it called to him, beckoned him over, and the summoner was unable to resist. He found himself standing before it, wide-eyed and grinning like a fool. Because all the pieces of parchment pinned to the quest board did not merely contain dungeon information, monster bounties, "looking for group" requests, calls for aid from the locals, and a variety of other notices. Oh no. These parchments contained boundless opportunities. Limitless potential. Untold glory.

The quest board represented life itself to people like Vodrick'Avor.

There were so many juicy quests posted on the board today. But the summoner had to summon the will to tear himself away from it for now. He wouldn't be able to accept any of these quests; not legally, anyway. Not until he visited the guild registrar and completed the necessary paperwork.

Bah. Paperwork. Commoners assumed that dragons or liches - or worse, draco-liches - were the bane of all adventurers. But the true bane of all adventurers was paperwork.

His shoulders slumping, Vodrick sighed, and spotted a sign near the quest board that pointed him in the direction of the registrar's office. While he floated to the quest board like a man hypnotized by a siren, he shambled his way to the registrar like a zombie on his last legs.

However, he perked up immediately when he stepped through the office door and recognized one of the officials behind the long counter.

"Barbara!? Barbara the Barbarian! Is that really you?"

The woman he called to didn't look like the typical barbarian, at first. She wore a dark, conservative-looking, dress with a long skirt. Her hair was tied into a bun. And she wore glasses. But on her face were tribal tattoos one would expect from a barbarian, and on her muscular, bare forearms were a collection of scars that only someone intimately familiar with battle would have. She looked up at the sound of her name, squinted a moment while her memory caught up, and then a smile burst upon her face.

"By Bromm's Bloodied Battle Axe! Vodrick'Avor! It's been ages! Come over here and give me a hug right...this...instant!"

Vodrick jogged up to the counter, where the two of them reach over to share an awkward but friendly hug. The other registrars were busy with customers, so they didn't pay much attention to the two, reuniting allies.

"Where have you been all these years? And why did you stop writing!" Barbara swatted Vodrick's shoulder hard enough to make him stumble a bit. He clutched the spot she smacked, trying to rub the pain away. She may be wearing a dress, but she was still dangerous.

"I've been all over. I lived in Elsewhere for a while for training. I quested up north after that. Hopped around the Elemental Planes once in a while. Most recently, I made a bit of a name for myself in Kiviri."

Barbara looked a little confused at the mention of Elemental Plane hopping, but she let it slide once he mentioned Kiviri. "You were in Kiviri! Truly!? Tell me all about it!"

The summoner spent the next several minutes regaling the barbarian woman with tales of Kiviri. He spoke of golden palaces and fields filled with tall, slender, rock outcroppings that looked like fingers of earth reaching for the sky. He talked about warrior monks who studied martial arts every waking moment. He told her of an emperor who was said to be the avatar of a god.

"Really, it was a swell place. A little too pricey though. You wouldn't believe what they charged for a studio apartment in neighborhoods that weren't even that nice."
Barbara laughed, deeply. Her laugh sounded kind of like a man's, but Vodrick found it endearing.

"Anyway, what are you doing behind a counter? In a dress, of all things?! Last time I saw you, you were in a chainmail bikini, wielding an axe dripping with the blood of those orcs who tried to overrun Ironvale. Why'd you traded your sword for a pen?"

Barbara opted to show, rather than tell. She stepped backwards, away from the counter, so that Vodrick could see more of her. Once he was able to see what she looked like from the chest down, it became obvious that she was pregnant. Very pregnant.

"Oh, wow! Who knocked you up, you slut!?"

Barbara laughed again, and tried to swat at his shoulder. This time, he expected it and snapped back to avoid the hit.

"Drogbar's the father," she said while stroking her belly, lovingly.

"Drogbar Throat-Eater!? I haven't seen him since the Blood Storm. I didn't know you two were an item. Does he still eat the throats of his enemies?"

"No, I made him stop. All those throats weren't good for him. I also convinced him to go on this low-meat diet. He's allowed the occasional cheat day, though."

"You gotta have cheat days," Vodrick agreed, nodding. "I'm sure Ole Throat-Eater will make a great father."

"I do, too," Barbara said, smiling. "But that's enough reminiscing. You didn't come here just to catch up on old times."

"No, you're right. I need to re-register, please!"

Nodding, Barbara reached underneath the counter for a magical tome, then placed it between them. The summoner recognized the book immediately as an adventurers' log. Every guild house had them. These were magical books that contained all the basic information about every registered adventurer.

The log was closed. "Please state your name," Barbara instructed, her tone now sounding official.

Vodrick cleared his throat before answering. "My name is Vodrick'Avor Vyrellen. The Summoner of Solstice."

Barbara rolled her eyes at the additional title. She then opened the adventurer's log, which - upon hearing the subject's full name - magically turned to a page that contained Vodrick's basic info.

"State your class."

"Mage. Obviously." Vodrick drew imaginary, arcane symbols in the air with his hands. It might have looked convincing, but the symbols meant nothing.
"State your specialization."

"Elemental summoner."

Barbara looked up from the tome. "Never heard of that one before. Must be new. So you're not an enchanter anymore?" Down on the page, Vodrick's entry was magically updated to say 'elemental summoner' instead of 'enchanter'.

"No, but I'm still enchanting." He wiggled his eyebrows at her, which caused another eye roll.

"You haven't changed a bit, Vodrick! Now stay focused so we can get through this quickly. Are you solo, or do you have a party? If you have a party, what are the other members' names?"

"I'm solo. For now. I just got into town, after all. Please list me as 'looking for group'. Speaking of which, do you know anyone else who's looking for a group? Someone you can recommend?"

"I know of plenty adventurers looking for a group, or looking for more to join their parties. But right now, I can't name anyone who I think you would get along with."
The summoner frowned, but the frown didn't last long. "Like I said, I'm solo for now. But keep your eyes peeled for someone who you think can keep up with me, would you?"

Vodrick finished the rest of the questionnaire. Once he was done, Barbara said, "Now please put your hand right here, " then pointed to one of the adventurers' log pages. He did so. After he lifted his palm off the page, the enchanted tome took a few moments to update his info, including his character level: 57.

"By Bromm's Crusted Beard! 57! You truly have been busy!" The registrars and the adventurers within earshot took notice of Barbara's outcry and had a long look at the high-level character who had just re-registered with Hub's guild. It's not that he was the highest-level adventurer around; far from it. But it was quite rare for someone so young to be so powerful.

Vodrick shrugged, but even the shrug somehow came across as arrogant. "What can I say? Talent like mine can't be restrained."

Barbara smirked. "Right." She turned to the next page of the log. There, a brand, spanking new Hub Adventurer's Guild card was stuck to the page. Vodrick's info was printed upon it, and it even had his picture. It was flattering picture, too. In it, he was smiling exactly the same way he was smiling at that very moment.

"Before I can give you this, we need to settle the matter of your guild dues." Barbara flipped to the previous page to confirm the amount. "You need to pay 1,000 gold, which covers you for an entire year."

"1,000 gold! Ugh!" Vodrick knew that it would be expensive, but he couldn't help but express his disgust anyway. The amount all but cleared out his savings. But that didn't bother him too much, because he could make more money by questing.

"Fine, here." He detached one of the pouches from his belt, opened it up, and checked its contents. Yep, 100 platinum coins, which are the same value as 1,000 gold. He set the pouch on the counter and slid it towards her. "Here are my guild dues, you brigand!"

Chuckling, Barbara peeled Vodrick's guild card off the page, then handed it to him. With it in his hands, the summoner felt as though he had just been knighted. No, better. He felt like he'd just been given a kingdom to rule.

Vodrick and Barbara the Barbarian said their farewells, but not before she made him promise to meet her and Drogbar at their place this weekend for lunch. Vodrick was in a hurry to get his next quest, so he spoke while simultaneously back-pedaling out of the registrar's office.

"Sure, this weekend! It's actually good that Drogbar is on a low-meat diet, because I'm a vegetarian now. Crazy, right? Anyway, I'll see you at your place on Loredas. Bye!" And with that, he was rushing out the door and back to the quest board.

He already knew which quest to take. He spotted it on the board before he went off to register. He was relieved to find that it was still on the board when he returned. Not taking any chances, he snatched it off the board and walked, briskly, out the door. He re-read it as he walked down the street towards the nearest gate out of Hub.

Location: Harfell Ruins

Party requirement: Solo-able

Recommended level: 20-30

The quest: A traveling merchant by the name of Olas Attanni has gone missing. His wife says that he sometimes takes a shortcut past Harfell Ruins. He'd never encountered trouble doing this before, but she is fearful that this is where his luck ran out. She asks an adventurer to find her husband and bring him home, safely.

Reward: 25 gold to the one who discovers what happened to Olas. An additional 25g will be paid if Olas is brought back, alive.


Vodrick was slumming it with this quest. It was too low-level, and the pay wasn't great. But that didn't matter. What mattered most was the thrill of questing. On top of that, Harfell Ruins only a few hours away by horse. If he made good time there and found the missing merchant quickly, he might be able to get back to Hub before the witching hour. Then he could get a good night's sleep and get a full day to tackle another quest!

Barely able to contain his excitement, the summoner rolled up the quest parchment and tucked it into one of his pockets. Hopefully Olas was alive, and wasn't too fat to ride on the back of a horse with him. Speaking of which, the next thing he had to do was buy a horse. That would wipe out the rest of his savings.

Such was the typical adventurer's life, but Vodrick loved it all the same.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“Wow…”

It was hard for her not to stare at the bustling city in front of her. Why, it seemed to go on for ages - as far as the eye could see! And the people! All kinds - merchants, fishermen, adventurers, mothers, vendors…The sounds, the colors, the smells! It was hard for her to repress a squeal of excitement. After all, she couldn’t look THAT much out of place.

Well, it was easier said than done. She seemed to float through the crowds; dawdling at one stand or the other, handling rich fabric or leaning over the open spit of a food vendor, deeply inhaling the fragrance of what was cooking. She made a mental note of how much coin she had on her - not enough to buy all that caught her eye, but then, she’d have to have a king’s ransom to do that!-, and to remind herself that she must be frugal. She still had to join the Guild, and find something for dinner, and then there was room and board…

But that roast chicken sure did look good…

Moments later, chewing on a skewer of spicy roasted chicken, she was walking towards the center of the square when the boy(? Man?) on the statue caught her attention. Like the rest of the passerbys, she watched, but unlike the others, her eyes lit up. He said he was returning - so he must’ve been on great adventures! Someone like that could be of great help to her! As soon as he leapt from the statue was she following him, gently easing her way through the crowd. Definitely seemed to be her lucky day - he was headed to where she needed to go.

There was no hesitation as she pushed into the Adventurer’s Guild. This time, rather than stop and take in the sights as she had in the square, she followed him to the registrar's office. And stopped. A quick moment of panic, and then, she took a deep breath. Luck had been with her so far. Surely it wouldn’t abandon her now. And she had to get registered - that was the whole point of her leaving home, after all. The man she was following seemed to know where he was going - unlike her. So, she slipped behind the last person in line, and patiently waited.

When her time came, she dashed forward into the open office. It was a cozy affair, characterized by large bookshelves and crystal balls on the desk. Well, crystal balls and skulls. And a lazy black cat napping on the corner of the desk.

“Hi! I’m Rin Lum Rom - but everyone at home calls me Rin. Pleased to meetcha!” She held out her hand.

The man behind his desk blinked, clearly taken aback. Then, he smiled, a little sheepish. He was taller than her, with azure hair and pale blue eyes, nearly hidden behind large glasses. The deep violet hooded cloak he wore screamed Cleric.

“Well, Rin, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Vash, and I’ll be helping you to register with the Guild. So, please, have a seat, and we can get started.” He took her hand - and his pale cheeks instantly flushed a deep pink. Sputtering, he let go, flexing his fingers slightly, and gestured to the seat. Of course she noticed his reaction - and promptly ignored it. If he wasn’t going to bring it up, then neither was she.

“Thanks!” she flopped down in the proffered chair, scooting her butt in it a bit to savor the plush material.
“Well, then,” he started, clearing his throat. Maybe he had imagined it in her touch. Surely that must have been it; she was completely unfazed by what had just happened. He made a mental note that he should get out a little more often. The registration book already open on his desk, he turned it to a fresh page, and, quill in hand, was poised to begin writing. “Where are you from?”

“I’m from Majiscera - it’s south, close to the Starish ocean - “

“You’re from Majiscera?” He nearly dropped his quill. “Are…are you from Jarin, by chance?”

Her face, with its already sunny disposition, seemed to brighten further. “I am!”

His face was awed. “Jarin’s got a reputation for producing the best adventurers from the South. Whenever someone’s from Jarin, they always get someone else to get them registered - this is the first time I’ve been able to do it myself!”

She beamed. “The last adventurer from home was my aunt, Ran. Ever since I was little, I’ve been training to join this Guild. I want to be a hero,” she leaned across the desk, grasping Vash’s hands in her own. “We from Jarin are raised to banish evil and sorrow from the world by helping as many as we can. It’s a tradition that’s been handed down from mother to daughter for centuries, originating from the great, just, goddess, Gloria!”

Vash, his hands tight within her grasp, was now a considerable shade of red. So much that Rin quickly dropped his hands, and giggled, nervously. “Sorry! I just get so carried away - I’m so happy to be here. I can’t wait to get started!”

Vash, struggling to recover himself, managed a weak nod.

_____

Rin left Vash’s office with much more attention than she entered. Apparently the offices had thin walls, and at the first hint that a Jarinian was there, most of the patrons in the Guild Hall had gathered round to catch a glimpse at the woman.

She was…decidedly average, most thought. She didn’t look any different from any other adventurer - she was of average height, with brown skin and wore a simple cream tunic belted round the waist with a copper belt that ended above her knees. Thinly wrought copper bracers covered her arms from her wrists to nearly her elbows. Across her back she had strapped a scimitar that was nearly as big as she was - with the handle going to her right shoulder and the end of the curved blade ending at her ankles. She wore sandals laced up to her knees, and had scads of voluminous hair that was such a dark purple that it looked black. Her eyes were perhaps the most unique things about her - they were rose pink, with pale lavender irises that gave the impression that she was blind.

But still - she had no strange tattoos, she gave off no incredible wafting of magic.

However, she was unflappably polite, and answered all of the questions that people peppered her with. Yes, she was really from Jarin, she had indeed just joined the Guild, she wasn’t ready to join a group yet but thank you for asking, no, she couldn’t breathe fire - and where would they get a silly thing like that from?

Finally, though, when she’d finally had enough, she gave a sunny smile and simply picked up the man in her way as if he weighed nothing, and set him gently aside on his feet. “I’m sorry,” she said, “But I was actually trying to catch up with someone. Maybe the next time I’m in?” She’d say the last bit over her shoulder, pacing through to the Board. Hm. If she was a hero, which would she choose…?

“Come on, luck, don’t fail me now…” Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath, and hoped for the best. Opening her eyes, she found herself drawn to a posting - one about a missing traveling merchant. “Oh, his poor wife!” she exclaimed, as she took the posting. Surely, this was something a hero would go for. And something she could easily do - although she wasn’t sure about what all that level business meant. It wasn’t that important right now. The most important thing would be to find that man, and, in turn, find her hero.

 

[BewareTheDream]

It was early afternoon, and the summoner was convinced he would make it to Harfell Ruins with plenty of daylight to spare. Despite the fact that he had spent most of his remaining money on the horse he now rode - a chestnut mare he decided to name Lemara - his spirits were high. How could his mood be anything but good? The sun was shining, he was once again traveling in his homeland, and he was on his very first quest since his return. If a dragon swooped down through the clouds right at that moment, intent on roasting him then gobbling him up, he'd probably greet the dragon with a smile.

When he reached the crest of a hill, Vodrick tugged on the reins to make Lemara stop, then turn around. He wanted to look back upon Hub, and this hill offered quite a nice view.

The city was ringed by strong, sturdy walls reinforced by the best engineering and the best magic that gold could buy. Within the walls were rows upon rows of buildings. Outside the walls were the numerous farms that had benefited from the area's rich soil for hundreds of years.

Speaking of the Blue Venture, sunlight twinkled off of the river's surface, the effect reminding Vodrick of fireflies hovering above tall grass. He admired the river for some time, before he eased his gaze over to the Hall of Law, which was one of the most visible buildings in all of Hub because it was situated atop the city's highest hill. The Hall of Law was where Hub's governor and council ruled city and the greater city-state, justly.

"You see that huge building, the one that looks like castle, but not quite? The one peeking up above all the others?" Vodrick pointed and spoke to someone or something that only he could see. "That's the Hall of Law. Something bad happened to the Hall many years ago - something that I may or may not have had a part in. That bad something is why I left Hub in the first place."

Vodrick listened to something only he could hear. "Yeah, yeah, you're right. That wasn't the only reason. It was an important reason though. But no matter. It looks like they fixed all the damage. And that happened years ago. Surely all is forgiven by now, hm?"

He continued to soak in the scenery for a few more minutes, while simultaneously soaking up the sunlight that warmed his face. He watched and listened to the wind brushing the long grass like a lover's hand through a woman's hair. He breathed in the air, which was crisp and still a little cold because spring had only just begun. Vodrick had seen many beautiful places during his travels, but there was something special, something irreplaceable, about Solstice, especially Hub.

Done with gawking, the summoner started to turn his horse when he noticed a tree at the base of the hill. He got Lemara to trot over to it.

"Bloom, I could use something to eat, please." Moments later, twin beams of verdant energy appeared out of nowhere to swirl around and around one of the tree's lowest branches. Apples began to rapidly grow all along that single branch. Vodrick reached up to pluck a handful of apples off the tree. He stashed most of them inside of a saddle bag, but he kept one to snack on. Juice and rich flavor seeped out when he took that first bite. The apple was more than delicious, as was all the food created by Lady Bloom. But after all this time, the flavors still impressed him.

"Thanks." Vodrick kept Lemara at a trot while he finished one apple, then another. Once that modest lunch was done, he snapped the reins to get her into a gallop, which was the pace she maintained the rest of the way to the ruins.

*****

Over an hour later, Vodrick dismounted in front of Harfell Ruins. He looked up at the sky, and estimated he had maybe 5 more hours of daylight. Provided the missing merchant hadn't somehow ventured deep into the ruins - or got dragged there - 5 hours should've been plenty. The summoner left Lemara in the forest, untied, yet for some reason he was confident that the mare wouldn't wander off while he was away.

"Harfell Ruins have been like this since the beginning of the Age of Awakening." It sounded as though Vodrick was lecturing an invisible student. "The most widely-accepted theory is that this used to be a dwarven town. It may not look that big on the outside, but inside is a complex series of underground tunnels that reach deep, deep into the earth. Many adventurers have explored these ruins over the years, and yet it's likely there is much that remains undiscovered."

Vodrick cautiously made his way past the broken or toppled pillars that lined an overgrown path that lead to what he assumed was the ruin's main entrance. Before he would go inside, however, he would walk around the perimeter, because it was possible that Olas Attanni didn't make his way into the ruins at all. He might have been incapacitated under one of the trees.

Vodrick brandished a small, magical rod that he got from his belt. He held onto the rod like a soldier might hold a flintlock pistol, aiming it down towards the ground until a proper target presented itself.

After several minutes of searching the ruin's exterior, he found nothing, which meant it was time to step inside.

"Bloom, light please." Almost instantly after he made the request, a bright, green light appeared out of thin air, hovering above and revolving around the summoner's head in no discernible pattern. When he stepped through the ruins' door-less entrance, the green light pierced the darkness that awaited within. The green light bathed the walls, and revealed symbols, patterns, textures that the ancient dwarves carved into the stone. The result was rather eerie, but it didn't scare Vodrick away.

Almost immediately after entering the ruins, Vodrick found a backpack discarded on the floor. It was a heavy pack, and one that he recognized as something a traveling merchant would carry. The bag didn't look torn, and he didn't see any blood on it.

"Well, there's no question what we have to do now." He gazed at the only way forward he could see: a massive set of black, stone stairs that lead downward, deeper into Harfell. He saw as far as the green light reached, and beyond that was foreboding darkness. He stood still, listening for a few moments. Then he called out Olas' name.

"Olas! Olas Attanni! I'm here to help!" He listened to his own voice echo throughout the chamber and down the stairs. Where ever Olas was, he didn't reply. That was bad. No monsters replied, either. That was good.

"Shall we?" Vodrick asked the green light. When he got his answer, he started to make his way down the stairs while the green light followed, dutifully.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

She took a deep swig from her water skin, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Though they’d insisted that she needed a horse to make the journey, she hadn’t anticipated on the additional cost. Although one particularly overzealous vendor had promised to give her a worthy steed for “services rendered,” she’d balked at the offer, and it was a testament to her patience that she hadn’t sent the man into the next building with a well-timed punch. Men! No wonder her village had so little to do with them. They were such slaves to their desires; it was pathetic. Well, maybe the men of the Adventurer’s Guild would be different.

Either way, Harfell Ruins weren’t that bad of a jaunt. She’d put her stuff up in an inn so she could travel lighter, and had left Hub at a jaunty jog. A “jog,” at least, for her – and other folks from Jarin. Her jogging pace was the speed of a top-notch runner going at full tilt. Even with her “unnatural” speed, Rin was still human, and needed to take some sort of break.

She’d picked a lovely place to do it in – a grassy knoll overlooking a limpid pool, with a mighty oak sitting at the top of the hill. It was under the tree that she was resting now, stretching out her long legs, and stretching her arms high overhead. Thanks to her training (though she would never tell that hardass Mirage that), she was hardly stiff at all.

Taking one last longing look at the vista in front of her, she sighed and got to her feet. She had to keep moving, otherwise, she might lose the only lead she had towards her own personal hero. Kneeling into a runner’s stretch, she got back up, and began to jog anew.

___

It was late afternoon by the time she reached the Ruins – and, all things considered, she felt she’d made excellent time. It didn’t take her long to find the pack, and kneeling in front of the ruins, she examined the way the grass laid. Someone had passed through recently; probably a man. Could be her hero; could be the man she was looking for. Glancing into the doorway, she frowned, only slightly. It was too dark for her to go in without a light.

Spying a tree nearby, she scouted around the roots until she found what she was looking for – an older, dry branch. Thankful she’d brought her flints with her, she tore a strip off of the bottom of her tunic and wrapped around the tip of the branch. Setting the affair down, she quickly struck a light, and, with the fabric a blaze, started down into the darkness. She was careful to leave scuff marks, heavier impressions into the sod so that she could find her way back.

 

[BewareTheDream]

Vodrick was descending the wide, stone stairs when the green light floating above his shoulder began to flash. It was warning him. His eyes snapped up to it.

"What? Behind us?" Wide-eyed, he spun around. He leveled the magical rod in his hand at the top of the stairs. It was just like the green light had said - someone was coming. He could see the unmistakable glow of a torch approaching. Then a woman came into view.

"Stay where you are!" The summoner commanded. He aimed his rod at her like a pistol. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

The strange, green light was brighter than Rin's torch, so she could see him more clearly than he could see her. She saw someone with black, medium-length hair that was stylishly messy. He was lean, fit, and taller than she was, though not by much. His clothing wasn't ostentatious, but it complimented his physique. If anything, he was sure rocking the shit out of his cloak. He had the look of a man who should always wear a cloak. The pose he had struck - a well-practiced firing stance that mages learn when they train with rods and wands - looked dramatic, as though he was showing off for an audience that wasn't there. Well, she was there now, so maybe she's the audience.

There was no question that he was the same adventurer she first saw in the square this morning. And just like before, even though he was aiming a weapon at her.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

"I mean you no harm!" She paused in her steps, holding up her free hand that wasn't holding the torch in a surrendering gesture. "I hope you're the man I've been trailing for a while."

She stepped forward now, hands still up. "Well, I was following you, I hoped, and then I saw the notice for the missing merchant, and I thought, 'Surely a hero would go after a missing man!' and here I am!" The flickering light brought out bits and pieces of her features - the high curve of her cheekbone here, the fullness of her bottom lip there. Above it all, however, would be her bright smile.

"I'm Rin Lum Rom - are you, by chance, the man that was on the statue in the middle of the town square?"

 

[BewareTheDream]

"You've been following me?" Vodrick gave Lady Bloom a sideways glance, as if to say, 'You didn't notice her? You're supposed to watch my back!' The floating light blazed brightly in a moment of defiance.

Next, Vodrick heard the strange woman at the top of the stairs mention the town square. Oh, she must be a fan! Or, at least, someone who was instantly impressed by him - as she should be - which meant that she would soon to be a fan. He suddenly grinned.

"Yes, that was me!" His rod suddenly disappeared from his hand, as though by magic. He climbed back up the stairs so he could get a closer look at his newest fan.

"I am Vodrick'Avor Vyrellen, the Summoner of Solstice. You may have already heard of my many adventures and accomplishments. If you haven't, I'll remedy that soon enough." At the top of the stairs, he gave her a graceful bow that would have been appropriate in a court full of nobles, not in a dungeon filled with dust and darkness. He somehow made the bow work here.

Now, then, to have a better look at her. She sure was a looker, that was certain. And to say that her eyes were unique would be an understatement. Before he got too preoccupied with how attractive she was, the details clicked together in his mind, like a puzzle. Her pink eyes and brown skin. Her attire. Her name.

"You said your name is Rin Lum Rom? That's not that kind of name you often hear around these parts. "Let me guess: You're from Jarin, right?" Any adventurer who bothered to crack open a book once in a while knew at least a little about Majiscera. Since Vodrick was the most well-read adventurer he knew, he knew a lot more about Majiscera and its people than the average adventurer. However, he'd never met anyone from Jarin before, until now. He was eager to learn more about her.

The floating green light bobbed in the air, impatiently, while the two adventurers conversed, rather loudly. Meanwhile, down in the darkness that swallowed up the stairs, something was beginning to wake up because all of the noise.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“Well, it’s not like a man on horseback is difficult to track,” she said lightly, with a shrug. “I saw you on the square, then sort of lost track of you in the Guild building, then the horse master told me where you were going and here we are.” She neglected to mention that it was only after the horse master’s untimely failed sexual pass on her that she’d gotten the information that she wanted. And she hadn’t even had to hit the man.

As he introduced himself, she actually took a few steps back, allowing for him to make his flowing gestures. Already, a thin tendril of dread curled in her stomach. A hero wasn’t supposed to be this showy or boastful. And come to think about it - she’d heard about a lot of heroes, but his name didn’t seem familiar. Had she been fooled?

However, the doubt was chased away when he asked where she was from. Her face lit up again. “Yes, I am! I left home to join up with the Guild in Hub - that’s where most of us go. By ‘us’, I mean Jarinians. I came of age not that long ago, so they let me go.” She folded her arms behind her back with a slight shrug, that sunny smile never leaving her face. “I thought that if I found a fellow hero adventurer, he, or she!” She added the last part quickly - thankful that it was too dark for him to see the light blush she felt burning her cheeks, “Would help me find my way around and the like. We don’t leave the village until we come of age.”

 

[BewareTheDream]

So the Jarin warrior was new to the area, and she was looking for a fellow adventurer to show her around? How fortunate! Not just for Rin, but for Vodrick as well. He was looking for a questing partner, and it looked as though fate dropped one right into his lap.

"You're in luck! I can be your guide. I know Solstice better than most people know their own faces." In his excitement, something she mentioned earlier almost slipped his notice. "Wait a second...you said that you saw the notice for the missing merchant? How could that be, when I took it?" Vodrick was so certain that he had rolled up the quest notice and tucked it into one of his many pockets, that he didn't even bother to check.

The summoner tapped his chin and scrunched up his lips, thoughtfully. He also spoke outloud, as he was wont to do. "Must've been a clerical error. Geez, as big and fancy as the Hub Guild has gotten, at least one thing hasn't changed: they can be lousy with paperwork, sometimes.

"I'll have to talk to Barbara about that when I get back." He muttered that last bit mostly to himself.

Just then, the ground beneath them shook a little, and there was a boom from down the stairs, deep beyond the darkness. Following that, a mechanical voice shouted in warning.

"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! PROTECTION PROTOCOL ACTIVATED...KILL THE INTRUDERS. KILL THE INTRUDERS."

Vodrick leap back, away from the stairs, instinctively. "Nature's Ward!" He yelled out. An instant after he shouted, a shimmering, green shield of light appeared around him, visible for only a second before it disappeared.

He knew what sort of monster had a mechanical voice like that and was also big enough to shake the ground with its footsteps. Speaking of ground shaking, they could feel more of the tremors beneath their feet, and they could both hear the booming getting closer.

"This doesn't make sense, " Vodrick once again thought out loud. "The notice said the recommended level was 20-30. But a dwarven automaton of this size has got to be at least level 50! Someone really biffed up this quest assignment." All the more reason to talk to Barbara about this when he returned to the guild hall.

He scanned the surroundings and came to a quick conclusion: it'd be stupid to fight this thing here, in the dark, and in a confined space. They needed room to maneuver.

Vodrick started to hustle towards the exit. He waved for Rin to follow. "C'mon, Rin! Let's get a move on! We're about to get into a fight, and it'd be better if we did it outside!

"By the way, hand me your torch, would you?" He hoped that the Jarin lived up to her people's reputation as the booming steps got closer and began to pick up speed.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

She was completely unfazed by the robotic voice. She held her ground, listening to him before he started to dash off.

“But why are you heading towards where we came?” Confusion was clear on her face, pooled in those odd eyes of hers. “I thought the missing merchant went down that way,” she pointed towards where the mechanical voice was echoing. “And it’s not very heroic to run off and leave an innocent behind!”

As the voice grew closer, she drove her foot into the ground with a grunt. Though it was solid stone, her strength was so that there was a small crater left, in the perfect shape of her heel. Setting the torch down in the makeshift divot, she drew her sword. It slid from its worn leather scabbard with a whistle, a testament to how unnaturally sharp it was. And, without a second glance back to him, she was off down into the depths of the cave.

Normally, when one thinks of the sounds of battle, you’re inclined to think of yells, the meaty sounds of a punch, perhaps the hot sizzle that magic leaves when it comes into existence. For the most part, this battle was fairly quiet. The occasional “huff” of breath as she leapt from one place to another, the booming response from the automaton, then, out of the darkness, one, then two, now five, arcs of bright white light.

A hairsbreadth of silence.

Then, heavy clanking. A whisper of fluid leaking, and the hiss of steam being discharged. Then, under that, footsteps.

Then came Rin, covered in splotches of oil, waving her great blade around as lightly as if she were dancing. Oil and bits of wire were slung from its great curved edge that still glinted as sharp as before. And her? Not even so much as breathing hard.

“I don’t know why you ran,” she said, with a slight sniff. “That thing was easy. Are you coming to help me find the merchant?”

 

[BewareTheDream]

Vodrick was practically at the entrance when he turned around and saw that Rin wasn't behind him. Because she was far out of range of his light, he couldn't see what she was doing. But he could hear it. She decided to fight a dwarven automaton alone, in the dark, in an enclosed space. What is she, nuts?! She basically did everything any monsters compendium would tell you not to do when fighting such a construct.

"Great ghouls and goblins, she's going to get both of us killed!" Vodrick shouted, apparently to himself. "C'mon, Bloom, maybe we can get to her before it's too late!" He raced back to where he had left her. But once Rin was again visible under the green light, it became obvious that she didn't need any help at all.

He found Rin unharmed and covered in oil. A pool of what passed for its blood was collecting under her feet. His light intensified to illuminate more of the scene, which allowed Vodrick to see the shattered remains of the automaton behind the woman who had destroyed it.

"What in the Nine Planes did you do?" He looked at her suspiciously for a few moments before directing his attention to the giant robot corpse. With his green light always hovering above a shoulder or a few feet above his head, the summoner inspected the wreckage. He thought out loud while doing so.

"Yep, this thing is at least a Level 50 challenge rating. Or was, anyway. Yet you took it down like it was a sewer rat, a kobold, or some other entry-level monster." He rubbed at his cheek and chin, thoughtfully. touching the parts of his face where a beard could grow, even though it looked like he had never grown a beard before. He kicked at the automaton's large, conical head, then watch the head dangle, uselessly, from the wires that barely kept it connected to the rest of its once-sturdy body.

"Maybe it malfunctioned?" He muttered. That was the only sensible explanation as to why Rin was able to defeat it so easily. Another possibility is that she's horrifically powerful and doing a really bad job of hiding it. He looked at her suspiciously again. She might have been a dragon disguising herself as a human, or perhaps she was possessed by a demonic entity that gave her such strength. Maybe she was some sort of construct herself. Whatever she was, he'd have to keep a close eye on her.
Rin urged him to look for the merchant. Although he was now wary of her, he couldn't argue her point. They had to find him.

"You're right. Let's get back to what we were doing before this thing made the mistake of attacking you."

They descended the long, wide, stone stairs. Vodrick lead the way, because he was the one with the magical light. Bloom watched his back the entire time. If the strange, deceptively powerful woman with the giant sword tried anything on him, she would warn him. From there, he would use a variety of tricks - one that was literally up his sleeve - to get out of harm's way.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they found a huge, underground chamber with a high ceiling and dwarven runs all along its walls. This was presumably where the automaton sat before it activated and came after them. There were multiple doorways that lead out of the chamber and to hallways that stretched in every direction. The two of them could have probably spent weeks, if not months, searching this place for the merchant. Thankfully, it wouldn't come to that.

"Life Detection," Vodrick said, quietly, with his eyes closed. After opening his eyes, he took a quick look around, then seemed to find something almost right away. "That way." Vodrick walked, cautiously, through one of the door and down one of the hallways. The entire time, he checked for traps under the ever-present green light. They didn't find any traps, but they did find what they were looking for: the missing merchant, Olas Attanni, hidden in a man-sized alcove.

Olas was unconscious, which of course was better than being dead. His breath was shallow, and he had no obvious signs of injury.

"My guess is he ran into that automaton, went in here to hide, and then nearly starved to death." Vodrick gave him a quick examination after they eased the merchant to the floor. "Poor guy just needs some nourishment and a little healing, and he should be back on his feet."

Vodrick, who was kneeling beside the merchant, looked up at her. "Would you mind standing guard while I tend to him? This shouldn't take long."

If there were any more monsters in the dungeons, they could only attack from two possible directions, which made it pretty easy for Rin to stand guard. Vodrick held his hands, flat, a few inches above Olas' body, then said the words, "Nature's Soothing Warmth," softly. The hovering light changed to a different shade of green. It became a healing radiance that bathed Olas, mendings wounds that Vodrick could not see with his own eyes, as well as restoring his strength.

The merchant began to stir, but he did not awaken right away. "We'll have to carry him out of here." Vodrick said. And so they did.

Thankfully, no other dwarven automatons or anything else attacked them. There were likely more monsters to be found deeper within the Harfell Ruins, but there weren't any to be found between them and the exit. Vodrick, Rin, and the unconscious Olas made it outside safely. Soon after they returned to the outdoors, the merchant awoke.

Olas proved to be really chatty. Riding on the back of the horse, Lemara, he ate the magical fruit from the summoner's ration bag and talked their ears off the entire ride back to Hub. Vodrick offered Rin some of his magical fruit before Olas ate it all. If she accepted, she'd discover that they were the most delicious apples she had ever tasted.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

The Explorer’s Guide to the Known World was, for what it proclaimed to be, a fairly modest tome. If one was particularly determined, it could be read, without a solid break, in its entirety, in about six months. For those who were magically inclined, the time could be cut in half. But, for most people, to get to what they needed only took a few minutes - thumb to the index, then to the page that you wanted, and bam, done.

However, as extensive as the book was, its various authors were also quite clear in pointing out things that they didn’t know much about - and for those who were so particularly inclined, there were several entries that were only a sentence long. Luckily, the entry on Jarin women wasn’t one of those entries.

It was a whole paragraph long.

Jarin women are notably stronger, faster, and possess far more endurance than typical humans. However, they are human. They worship a Goddess, Gloria, and for all of their strength, are not prone to warlike ways. They produce the best heroes, as they believe that helping others honors their Goddess. They are surprisingly secretive. They have a special affinity for animals.

If anyone has spent any significant amount of time with the Jarian women, please notify your nearest Guild Hall so that this entry may be amended.


And that was it.

To Rin Lum Ron, her strength was something as natural as the sky being blue and the sun being warm. To her, it was nothing out of the ordinary, why, everyone at home was strong! And she wasn’t even the strongest, truth to tell. She’d made it out of the village because she’d passed all of her tests - and while her strength may not have been up to snuff for all of the tasks, her heart had been.

So, when Vodrick asked her what she did, she gave him a slight shrug. “I ended the mechanical creature. Was I not supposed to? I didn’t see anywhere where I could switch him off. The way should be clear to find the merchant now,” she added, almost as if she was apologizing.

The thought of being aggressive to her new traveling companion hadn’t crossed her mind - and as they wandered deeper through the ruins, she actually started…humming. Quite a jaunty little tune, completely at ease in the labyrinth. When he found the merchant, her eyes lit up, and she backed off, giving Vodrick the space that he needed to treat the merchant. Magic, while not entirely unknown to her, was still enough to give her pause. It was truly a beautiful thing, magic use.

Carrying the merchant was no problem for her. She simply knelt, scooped up the man, and slipped him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. If Vodrick had been concerned about her strength before, here was clear evidence that she was much stronger than she looked. If Vodrick offered her a hand to help, she waved it away with a smile. “He doesn’t weigh much,” - she wasn’t winded in the slightest- “And his state makes him easier to carry. If he were kicking and moving around then I might have a problem!”

Following Vodrick out, she helped the man slung over her shoulders to his feet, settling him as carefully as if he were a child. Olas was flabbergasted by the deceptively strong woman, but quickly set at ease by her ability to chatter away back at him, as cheerful as a songbird. And rather than ride the horse with Vodrick, she walked along side them, her sword shining dully in the light. She was spattered with oil, with the occasional smear on her cheek. But it did nothing to mar her looks. As Vodrick had surmised, she was indeed a “looker” - her eyes were bright and vivacious, her figure tight and toned, her scads of hair held back from a nobly high forehead with a gold circlet. Tear drop shaped tattoos were below it on her forehead, one large teardrop surrounded by four smaller ones. She wore no jewelry save for the circlet (and those arm bracers), and seemed to be quite unaware of how alluring she actually was. Though it may have been hard to tell, with the way that Olas blushed every time she gave him a sunny smile.

She'd turned down the apples with another slight smile. With the amount of strength she'd shown before, the apples, though they smelled divine, wouldn't be enough to replenish her. She needed meat, and lots of it. As they grew closer to the city limits of Hub, with the first hint of fragrance of grilled meat from the street vendors, her stomach growled mightily, and her cheeks flushed.

 

[BewareTheDream]

For most of the trip back to Hub, Rin was the target of Olas' chattiness. Vodrick was relieved for that, because it only took a few minutes of listening to the round-bellied merchant to know that he didn't want to talk to him for the entire ride back home. It was bad enough that the man was riding behind him with his arms around his waist. And when their guest and quest objective ate the magical fruit Vodrick provided, he did so noisily.

The sooner they dropped Olas off to his worried wife, the better it'd be for all of them.

At least Rin appeared to enjoy the constant conversation. Throughout the ride, Vodrick gave her sidelong glances, trying to size her up. She sure was a cheerful one. That would make things easier if they became permanent questing partners. Although he wasn't in the mood to chat with Olas, that didn't mean he was the quiet type.

Vodrick also took the time to appreciate Rin's appearance. Now that he saw her under plenty of sunlight, he really got a good look at how attractive she was. She was fit. Energetic. Obviously quite powerful; she was likely as strong as an ogre, but much easier on the eyes. He tried not to stare at her too much, because it'd be weird.

Unfortunately, Olas didn't leave him alone for the entire trip. When sun got low, and they could see Hub in the distance, the merchant began to talk to the summoner about trade.

"Have you ever been to Salinas, Master Mage?" The older man asked.

"I told you before, I'm a summoner. And yes, I was in Salinas about a fortnight ago."

"Did you buy any adventurer's items there? Healing potions? Mana potions? Rations?"

"No."

"How about a set of lockpicks?"

"I'm not a rogue, so no."

"Compass?"

"No."

"Lanterns? Waterskins? 30 feet of rope?"

"No, no, and no. What are you getting at, Mr. Attanni?"

"You see, Master Ma...Master Summoner, the price of every single item I listed is different depending on what city you buy them from, and also the time of year. Mostly it depends on the city. Mana potions, for example - which I'm sure would interest you the most - are always about 10g per flask. However, thanks to my connections in Hub, I sell them at no more than 8g per flask. I can get and sell healing potions for less, too! That's why adventurer's from Salinas sometimes travel all the way to Hub to take advantage of my prices. Why, just the other night, a party of adventurers lead by a black knight came into my shop..."

"Aaaaaangh..." Vodrick made an annoyed gurgling sound that Olas apparently didn't notice. He kept on talking all the way to the Hub city limits.

It was twilight when Vodrick, Rin, and their loquacious merchant friend made it to Hub's Dragon Gate, the gate that opened out to - surprise, surprise! - the eastward-reaching Dragon Road. Vodrick was happy to be back, his first quest since his homecoming a success. Sure, he barely did anything during this quest, but no matter - a win was a win.

When they rode through the Dragon Gate and into the city, Rin's stomach growled loud enough for all 3 of them hear. Vodrick turned to her, saw her blushing, then laughed.

"Ha! I offered you some apples. Believe me, they're a lot more filling than normal apples." He patted the saddle bag that contained the 2 or 3 apples that Olas hadn't already eaten.

It did not take long at all to get to Olas' house, especially since the merchant gave them directions as a backseat rider. He didn't have a large house, but it was well-kept and located in what appeared to be a nice neighborhood. It was down the street from a Chapel of Light, and they passed by a guard station shortly before arriving at the doorstep, so Vodrick guessed that crime and demonic possessions were quite low here.

Olas hopped off the saddle and nearly fell flat on his face, he was so excited. Before he made it to the door, it swung open, and his wife - a round-faced and kind-looking woman about as old as he was - came rushing out. She must have been looking out the window, worrying the whole while.

While the husband and wife had a tearful, blubbering reunion, Vodrick dismounted and tied Lemara's reigns to the merchant's fence. He took out one of the last apples from the saddle bag and started to feed it to the horse.

"I bet they invite us for dinner," the summoner said to Rin. Sure enough, once Mr. and Mrs. Attanni were able to tear themselves away from each other, they insisted that Rin and Vodrick stay for a meal.

Vodrick winked at Rin as they made their way inside the new friends' house. The wink, as well as the smile that accompanied it, basically said, "See? I told you so."

They had to wait for Olga Attanni to cook up a meal, during which time Olas entertained them with songs played on an accordion. Vodrick had to admit that he was a pretty good musician, plus he was actually kinda pleasant to be around as long as he wasn't babbling about his business. Before too long, the whole house was smelling of cooked meat and a pie baking in the oven, for the Attannis prepared their heroes a veritable feast.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

From the notes of a long dead adventurer:

Jarians have immense appetites. It’s long been thought that they were just prone to gluttony, but that is not the case. The food from Majiscera is actually quite different from food from surrounding areas. Quite simply put, it is bigger and packed with more nutrients and vitamins. Outside of their village, Jarians appear to consume at least two to three times more food than normal humans.


At first, she seemed to refuse food to be modest. Then, with a little more prodding and cajoling by Mrs. Attanni, Rin added a few more pieces to her plate. More prodding, more things piled on her plate.

“Are you sure?” Rin asked, eyes wide, as she neatly dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

“Yes, please, eat all that you’d like!”

And the dam broke.

Rin proceeded to pile her plate high with food, grabbing items with vigor from one plate and then another, appearing to devour them as soon as she had it speared. It was only when she’d single-handedly cleared every dish on the table that she sat back, looking remotely content. Of course, she could have eaten more, but, well, there was only so much food cooked. She seemed to have a bit of a wistful expression on her face as she eyed one empty plate after another.

Not entirely forgetting her manners, she had, at least, waited until everyone else had gotten their fill.

Dabbing at her mouth again, now finished, she made no excuse as to the extent of her appetite - merely smiled and continued to listen to the married couple talk. However, she would be the first to stand, with a small smile.

“It’s getting late - and I’ve got an inn to get back to.” Stretching her arms high over head, she stifled a small yawn, standing on her tiptoes to stretch all the way out before settling back down to her heels. “Thank you both for the meal!”

Slightly flabbergasted at watching the woman eat so much, the couple could only manage a small nod.

Looking over at Vodrick, her smile widened a bit. The expression was warm, and asked, “Coming?”

Out in the road in front of the house, she let out another long yawn, pausing to look at the sky overhead.

“The stars are beautiful, aren’t they? It’s incredible that no matter how far you go, they’re still the same!”

 

[BewareTheDream]

Vodrick appeared to be quite amused by his new questing partner's prodigious appetite. He remembered once reading that Jarians could really pack it in; after all, they burned calories faster than normal people, and thus needed to intake more calories than normal people, too. However, reading about something wasn't the same as seeing it in person. Seeing a real, live Jarian woman clear out the entire dining table almost by herself was almost as impressive as watching her take down a automaton by herself.

Not that he saw that happen. It was dark.

Unlike Rin, Vodrick didn't eat much, plus he didn't touch any of the meat.

"Why aren't you eating, Master Summoner?" Olga Attanni asked.

"I mean no disrespect, Mrs. Attanni," he said, smiling apologetically. "I'm a vegetarian. It's a requirement of my magic. So this salad is all I really need."

"I'd never heard of that before," Olas chimed in. "And I've spoken with a number of mages who've come to my shop to buy mana potions, blank spellbooks, and the like."

"That's not surprising," the summoner said with a grin. "My magic isn't like other spellcasters'. Unique magic, unique appetite." With that, he speared a baby tomato with his fork, and made it disappear in his mouth.

He was surprised that Rin was the one who opened the door for their exit. Vodrick was also surprised that he had started a discussion with Olas concerning a discount at his shop. He thought he hated the sound of the merchant's voice during the ride back to Hub. But now that he met the man's wife and got treated to a hero's welcome by the two of them, his opinion flipped. Olas may have earned himself a new, lifelong customer, and all he had to do was nearly die in a dwarven ruin.

Vodrick looked up from the conversation to watch Rin stretch, then make her way to the door. That warm expression of hers made him grin. In response to her wordless question, he merely nodded. Then he stood up to say his farewells to their host. On top of that, there was still unfinished business to attend to.

"I had best be going as well. Mr. Attanni, Mrs Attanni, thank you for the meal and your hospitality. Now I hate to end the evening by talking about money, buuuuut..." He shrugged, giving them the opportunity to finish his thought for him. They took the bait.

"Oh, oh! Of course! How silly of me!" Olga rushed out of the dining room to fetch some gold from where ever their secret stash of gold was. When she returned, she had a pouch full of coin in her hand, which she handed to the summoner.

"Here you go, young man. I honestly cannot thank you enough for what you've done for us. I dare not think what I'd do without my Olas..." The middle-aged woman's eyes began to glisten with unshed tears. She clasped both of her hands together against her chest as her husband, about to choke up himself, hugged her shoulders.

"You've thanked me enough, Mrs. Attanni. I mean it." He jiggled the coin pouch at her as a bit of a joke. "To be frank, I didn't really do anything. Rin did most of the work. I just provided some healing."

Rin was out the door by that point. Silly woman left without closing out the quest contract! She really would need his guidance if she was to be an appropriately-compensated adventurer.

"Tell you what", Vodrick continued. "If you really want to thank her, you can bake her another one of those cream pies and bring it to the Adventurer's Guild. They'll make sure she gets it." It was common for commoners to give gifts to heroic adventurers, even after they've paid them their quest rewards. The people that worked in the Guild were accustomed to handling all sorts of presents, including pies.

"Oh oh!" Olga blurted out, suddenly. She opened one of her hands, revealing a sizable ruby, which she offered to him. Vodrick's eyes went round and nearly sparkled at the sight of it. "Fifty gold isn't nearly enough for bringing back my Olas. Please. Take this, too."

Secret bonus reward! Cha-ching!

Vodrick looked her in the eyes, back down to the ruby, up to Olas' face, then back to the ruby. The husband and wife both nodded for him to take it, so he did.

"Thank you again. Well, I must be off!" Before Vodrick could leave, he was caught up in one of Olga's big, warm hugs. After he managed to squirm away, Olas patted him on the back, which caused him to stumble a little.

"Remember what I said about that discount! My shop is right down the street on the way to the central square. You can't miss it!"

It took several minutes, but Vodrick finally extricated himself from the grateful couple to join Rin, who was waiting outside. She spoke of how beautiful the stars were right as he walked up behind her.

"Yep. They sure are pretty," he said, looking up. There was barely a cloud in the sky, so they could see countless stars shining down on them. "I don't know...the skies over Hub have always looked prettier to me." He shrugged before continuing to stare at the stars with her.

"Hey. I've got your share of the quest reward," he said after maybe a minute of star gazing. Vodrick counted out 25 gold pieces from the pouch, which he tucked away into one of the many pockets in his clothes. Then he handed the pouch and the ruby to Rin.

"You did most of the work. So you deserve the bonus. Here." He waggled the ruby at her. "My guess is this beauty's worth 100 gold, easy. Bring it to one of the bankers in the Guild, and they'll give you its fair market value in coin.

"Oh, and you might be getting a pie from Mrs. Attanni, too."

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“No where in the world are the stars better than in Majiscera,” she said, pride heavy in her voice. “The way they reflect off of the ocean, it makes it seem like if you step into the water, you’ll be in the sky. But it’s nice to still see them here. Feels like they have a different face for different places.”

As he explained the reward, her eyebrows lifted, and she made a slight pout. “Oh, I guess that’s right,” she exclaimed, thumping an open palm with her fist. “Rewards! But, you know, it’s not really about the gold. It never is. But I guess it’s good - it means I can fund my traveling. I thought I’d be okay with doing odd jobs here and there, but you know, I have to be a hero at the same time.”

She stopped, and turned to face him. “I haven’t been entirely honest, Mr. Vodrick. I’m actually looking for something. I thought that I might have a clue if I joined the Guild here - and worked with someone that knew the area better.” Even under the muted light of the moon, her eyes were still bright and possessed a natural sweetness. “Will you help me learn the ways of the Guild?”