《Vale》 Chapter 1: Vale Sunlight flowed freely from the cracked, wooden ceiling. Lifelessly the light descended through the stagnant air catching only on the countless specks of glittering dust before it disappeared into the floorboards. Three teens stood proudly upon these floorboards amidst the sea of ever-falling dust. They stood before a tall, planked desk behind which another man gazed down upon them menacingly. ¡°What are you runts doing here?¡± he asked with a voice like grinding metal. His head rested firmly within his muscled hands and his eyes, surrounded by scars, were dark as death. His face expressed no foreignness to this gloomy appearance leading Wolfe to believe that this might be his default state. Sweat trickled intermittently down his rough face no doubt caused by this humid heat. ¡°This is the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, correct?¡± Wolfe responded with a generous smile lacking the tension of age. Of course he already knew the answer. ¡°That is so, which is why I repeat¡ª what are you runts doing here?¡± His grating voice left the three unfazed apparently unaware of the man¡¯s displeasure, or at least not bothered by it. They had visited the Adventurer¡¯s Guild many times before though they had never met this particular man. Each time they had visited they would watch from a corner of this empty room observing the Adventurers in the room next over. The entrance sat beside this desk. An unblocked gap in the wall beyond which a bar could be seen, and heard, strumming with activity. Despite their desires the three had never walked past this room. Only Adventurers were allowed entry into the bar. They simply sat in the corner watching and listening to the Adventurers as they spoke and told their grand and tall tales. As if breathing in their legend. But this time was different. ¡°We have come to register our party!¡± The jolly smile never faded from Wolfe¡¯s face as he spoke excitedly barely restraining himself from bouncing around the room. Tails hid his emotions worse as his legs began quaking from a mixture of nerves and joy. Even Ort had a smile creeping across his face. But the man was not influenced by their eagerness. In fact his face distorted further into a grimace as he surveyed the three youths before him. ¡°Don¡¯t you runts know that Adventuring is not like the stories you hear in childhood?¡± He had seen faces like these before, the animated faces of ignorant teens who had spent far too long dreaming of Adventuring and not enough time in the real world. His experience marked these sorts of faces as belonging to those who would soon die. Die a miserable death from underestimating this gruesome world around them. ¡°Let us be the judges of that,¡± replied Wolfe regaining some calmness after witnessing the man¡¯s somber expression. Wolfe felt as if that man¡¯s cold and dark eyes reflected countless deaths and unending sorrow. This man surely has history as an Adventurer, and an experienced one at that. Not that that would stop the three of them though. They had already waited so long for this day. ¡°Runts, you are still too young. Leave for now. Come back in a few years of training. This guild will still be here.¡± He let out a long and tired sigh. This wasn¡¯t the man¡¯s first time arguing with anxious youths nor would it be his last. He already knew how this argument would end but he still felt he had to give it a shot. Unfortunately the entry requirements into the Adventurer¡¯s Guild were quite loose. This time Tails spoke up. ¡°We aren¡¯t runts you know! We are full-fledged adults and we have been training to become Adventurers for a long time!¡± When Tails mentioned being an adult he shifted to his tippy-toes in an attempt to look the man more in the eye. Still, Tails was desperately short even if including his wild brown hair. He was the shortest and the youngest in the group. Though he claimed to be an adult, in all manners this was a lie. He was only fourteen years old after all, two years from the age of adulthood. On the other hand Wolfe and Ort were both, at least officially, adults so Tails felt no guilt in his lie. He had always hung out with those older than him anyways. ¡°We might even be stronger than you,¡± Tails said with a shallow smile. He felt rather frustrated with this man calling them ¡®runts.¡¯ He wished adults would treat him with the respect he believed he deserved. He wasn¡¯t a fool. ¡°Runts or not, Adventuring is still dangerous. For your own sake, train a few more years before joining. Don¡¯t rush towards death, its already fast enough.¡± The man saw the end of the conversation. Another lost cause. Still he felt better for the attempt. ¡°We will take your advice into account.¡± Wolfe saw no reason to be rude toward him, he only meant the best. ¡°Nonetheless, we will still be making an official party. What do you need from us?¡± Wolfe¡¯s smile returned in full force. ¡°Not much,¡± the man said turning to the mess of papers spread across the desk before him. ¡°Party formation, party formation,¡± he sighed while looking around. After a few seconds he found the sheet he was searching for. ¡°What are your names?¡± He asked while grasping a pen clumsily in his hand. Tails spoke first, ¡°I am Fennic Tallis! My friends call me Tails.¡± The tremor in his legs had died down somewhat though his face still expressed utter joy. His vibrant green eyes seemed to glow beneath the shadow of his messy brown hair. Around his narrow shoulders draped a cheap magician¡¯s robe, the type worn by many apprentice magicians, though as Tails moved his peasant¡¯s clothes could be seen underneath. Between his cloak and his general lack of muscle, Tails was clearly a magician. ¡°You are a magician, yes? Where is your staff?¡± Nearly all magicians carried a staff of some description for assistance in magic channelling. Magic channeling, along with event visualization, built up the basics of magic casting. While event visualization had no tools of assistance beyond repetition, magicians had long since developed the staff as well as chants to help ease the mental strain of magic channeling. To most magicians these two tools were of vital importance to their magic casting. Together they greatly reduced the amount of focus, time, and magic required for casting allowing magicians to cast more reliably, faster, and for longer. Quite frankly Tails disliked using any staff. He had grown up dependent upon himself and therefore felt ill at ease relying on a chunk of wood for help. At least this was the reason he had given when others had asked him about it. The real truth was that Tails felt casting magic without a staff looked cooler. Still this was far too selfish of a reason to not carry around a staff, especially as an Adventurer. Tails moved his hand into a pocket sewn poorly into the inside of his cloak. A small staff commonly called a wand about the length of his forearm rested there. This was his compromise. Staffs held few requirements for size though the size did influence the degree of assistance they would offer. In this regard bigger was better hence most staffs found themselves the size of walking sticks. But not all magicians desired to carry around a walking stick with them all the time especially noble magicians living in a city like Malnore, leading to a minor market of small staffs called wands. It should be noted that wands are still classified as staffs. Fluidly Tails withdrew his wand to show the man. Like all staffs this one was carved with complex symbols covering its surface. These symbols granted staffs their magical abilities. They were also why larger staffs were more powerful¡ª they held more complex and intricate carvings. ¡°A wand eh?¡± The man groaned. In his eyes this was but more proof that these youths were inadequately prepared. Wands were considered useless by most magicians as the assistance they provided was so much less than normal sized staffs. They were the toys of nobility not the tools of Adventurers. He felt almost certain now that this trio would soon die. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you purchase something decent? Too poor?¡± He asked after glimpsing Tails¡¯s attire once more. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°No,¡± Tails responded as he had thousands of times before, ¡°I simply don¡¯t need anything larger!¡± His eyes rolled, ¡°I practice magic without such crutches.¡± He packed the wand back into his cloak''s pocket. Luckily Tails possessed incredible magical talent or else he would not be able to speak such arrogant words. Few magicians these days could cast magic without assistance. Of course the man did not know of Tails¡¯s talent so he settled for just shaking his head disapprovingly. He did not believe the child before him but there was no arguing with ignorance so he decided to move on. ¡°And what about you? What is your name?¡± ¡°I am called Elend Wolfe,¡± replied the next. Wolfe stood at the center of their group as if it was the most natural thing in the world. His bearing held a degree of arrogance and pride but not to an overwhelming level. Since they were young he had always been the pillar of the group, the responsible child. His features were handsome especially when besides the scrawny Tails. His hair was a dirty blond which matched well with his murky brown eyes and a natural smile lit his face which positively oozed out charisma. Wolfe was neither very muscular nor not but rather a lean balance. Likewise his clothes were not those of nobility but they certainly weren¡¯t low class. ¡°That sword on your back, don¡¯t tell me you plan on using that?¡± The man continued being skeptical at their every step. Nonetheless, he had a point. The sword Wolfe carried had seen much use and the edge appeared dull. More over this sword was the type originally designed not for actual combat use but for practice only. It could be hardly classified as a blade. ¡°That is indeed my intention.¡± Wolfe understood his meaning but he believed in their abilities so he remained confident. They wouldn¡¯t be allowed any great quest at the beginning anyways so this was more than enough. ¡°You know most swordsmen, if that is what you are, purchase a new blade before theirs break right?¡± The man sighed again. He wondered how he had ever ended up so low as to be giving this advice to such ignorant children. ¡°I will purchase a new blade when I need to. You do not need to be so concerned for us.¡± Wolfe continued his smile. ¡°Is that so?¡± His advice yet again went in one ear and out the other. ¡°Well whatever. And you are?¡± He turned to Ort who had remained silent up to now. ¡°My name is Ortelius Sable,¡± Ort replied. His voice was gentle like a refreshing wind. His silky dark hair nearly covered his violet eyes as it flowed down to his wide shoulders. Ort was the oldest of the three. He was seventeen, a year older than Wolfe and three older than Tails. He was also the bulkiest of them being considered large even among fully grown adults. Despite his muscle, Ort¡¯s features almost seemed pretty in comparison to the handsome Wolfe and youthful Tails. Interestingly, his dark and dingy clothing felt more like a testimony that he did not care what others thought of him rather than an expression of poverty. ¡°Sword and shield huh?¡± The man felt surprised. Unlike the other two youths Ort¡¯s equipment was fairly decent among low class Adventurers. Honestly if Ort had joined with some other party members he would have expected great things from them. ¡°Aren¡¯t they,¡± he motioned toward Wolfe and Tails, ¡°going to slow you down? Why would you join with them?¡± He asked with genuine curiosity. ¡°No, they are strong.¡± Ort¡¯s face remained nearly expressionless though if one paid close attention his little smile faltered momentarily. Wolfe and Tails were his close friends. They had grown up together and when most abandoned him they remained. He appreciated their friendship greatly to the point of being somewhat protective towards them. He cast his eyes somberly to the ground, ¡°In a few years I may be the one slowing them down,¡± he said barely audible. Wolfe choose to ignore his statement while Tails did not notice. His attention had already been drawn in by the activity in the bar beyond. ¡°That so?¡± The man spoke while scratching his head. Ortelius Sable, he felt like he had heard that name before. Sable, the family of Sable. ¡°Ah,¡± he recalled, ¡°the fallen noble family? Have they actually fallen so low that they are becoming Adventurers now?¡± The thought amused him quite considerable and a cold chuckle escaped his lips. The Sable family had been charged by the Kings with the guarding of the Inner Castle for generations. As such they served as the King¡¯s last line of defense, guarding His own home. Being nobility they had lived comfortable and proud lives dependent upon the country¡¯s tax revenue. Perhaps some citizens already disliked them then for that alone but at the time they were never hated. The Sable family never mistreated the citizens nor abused their authority. They remained diligent in their duties. But times were different now. The Inner Castle went by a different name, Lier¡¯s Last Stand, after being torn down brick by brick until none of it remained. Likewise the Sable family was in ruins. This was their first time failing the King though that was not the reason for them being shamed by their countrymen. Rather the family had remained too loyal in their duties. At the peak of the Burning Revolution the Sable family alone remained loyal to their King. Even with the chaos being over the people did not forgive them. Perhaps they had been lucky enough to not all die besides the King and his heirs but the people made sure to remind the Sable family that they had chosen the Lying King over them. They were shunned and many of their former allies abandoned them. As of a few years ago, the end of the Revolution, Kings no longer reigned in Malnore. These days the Church of Life stood in their place and the people were glad for it. The Church had been the guiding force of the Revolution though they only arose in the days prior to it. While the Church had not been ruling for long these were some of the happiest years in the history of Malnore. The sword and shield Ort carried on his back were some of the few things remaining from the Sable family¡¯s noble years. Formerly this equipment had been used as practice equipment not fit for active duty but after their fall this was some of the best gear the family possessed. ¡°Indeed I am from that Sable family,¡± replied Ort flatly. He didn¡¯t enjoy discussing his family¡¯s history. A few years ago they had been a proud family but no longer. Still Ort felt no reason to deny his heritage. ¡°Well it certainly explains your equipment and build,¡± the man laughed. His shoulders raised in a shrug, ¡°Probably why you are Adventuring with them too. Well whatever,¡± he said with his eyes narrowing, ¡°we all have our embarrassing mistakes.¡± Ort smiled slightly at the man¡¯s words but did not respond. Wolfe raised his voice, ¡°Is there anything else you need? Or are we officially a party yet?¡± Tails also returned his attention to the man behind the desk his smile still fully intact. ¡°Ah one more thing,¡± the man grinned dimly, ¡°what would you like your party to be called?¡± The three had settled this before coming today. Unhesitatingly they said, ¡°Vale.¡± Nice and simply they thought. Chapter 2: Its Always Rats ¡°Vale? Alright then. With these,¡± the man handed over three flimsy paper notes, ¡°you are an official party.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Questioned Wolfe with a sense of disbelief. The paper had their names, their party name Vale, and an Adventurer¡¯s Guild seal of approval on it. It felt like the moment before a storm. Tails likewise bore an expression of confusion. ¡°These are your temporary guild licenses of course.¡± An evil smile stretched across the man¡¯s gruesome face as he absorbed the fullness of their disappointment. ¡°Expecting more were you?¡± In his opinion young groups always made the most amusing expressions at this point. This was probably the only redeeming moment of his job. ¡°I told you already that Adventuring is not what it is in the stories. Did you not listen?¡± Maybe that was one of the purposes to these temporary licenses, bringing dreamers back to reality. A little taste of the truth. And the three certainly did feel disappointment, though Wolfe wasn¡¯t all too surprised either. ¡°These are our temporary licenses? Then when do we get our permanent ones?¡± ¡°When you each pay up fifty brass pennies you will receive your permanent licenses.¡± Fifty brass pennies was not too much for most of those living in central district, but they were still young and had been living upon their allowances until recently. They had little savings. ¡°As there are three of you I expect a tin nickel and fifty brass pennies in total.¡± This amount would normally be enough to feed and lodge them for a for a couple weeks. If they were more money conscious they could easily last three or four weeks upon this amount, but they were used to comfortable living. For now they could not afford the permanent licenses so they would have to be satisfied with the temporary ones. At least they could work and save up. ¡°Ah and before we move on these temporary cards only allow you to accept requests from that board over there.¡± His calloused finger pointed behind them at the back wall opposite the bar. A small half a meter by a meter board hung there with about a dozen papers pinned to it. ¡°In short you are still not allowed access beyond this desk but you shouldn¡¯t mind right? You runts are too young to drink at the bar anyways.¡± There existed no minimum drinking age in Malnore but beer had long been considered a man¡¯s drink. Children drank cow¡¯s milk instead. ¡°What!?¡± They cried out flabbergasted. Finally after years of waiting they had joined the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and they still weren¡¯t allowed access to its facilities. How ridiculous. Not even Wolfe had expected that. ¡°What do you mean we aren¡¯t allowed into the bar?¡± Asked Tails frantically. It appeared the man¡¯s insult had slipped below his radar. His earlier smile had all but dried up and his arms had begun swinging as his mouth sped up. ¡°These temporary licenses allow you to start working for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild but they do not make you members of the Guild. The bar is, as you probably know, for members only.¡± Tails¡¯s gaping mouth amused him quite considerably. ¡°Nonetheless you can now work for us! Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡± He couldn¡¯t stop his mocking smile. Unconsciously his hands came together in a shallow clap. The three were clueless on how to respond to him for a few seconds. Wolfe just stood there with a blank expression before mumbling to himself, ¡°One nickel fifty pennies,¡± while turning around and walking dully to the request board. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild split all its requests into four categories or classes. Each official party possessed such a class, starting with the entry level ¡®D¡¯ class, which determines what level of requests they can accept. ¡®D¡¯ class parties are encouraged to take on only the most basic ¡®D¡¯ level quests though they are permitted to occasionally accept a ¡®C¡¯ level quest, the next step up. After ¡®C¡¯ class came ¡®B¡¯ class and then the rare ¡®A¡¯ class. Rumors also stated than a ¡®A+¡¯ level existed beyond that but ¡®A+¡¯ missions were never seen upon the mission board so there existence could not been confirmed. Some legends, with there tendency to exaggerate or outright lie, tell of ¡¯S¡¯ class Adventurers in the past. But this small mission board suspended upon the wall was designed solely for beginner parties so it only hosted a select few ¡®D¡¯ class missions. ¡®D¡¯ class quests were quite limited in scope. They required their target to be located within or right around the city of Malnore. Naturally then most were expected to be accomplished within the course of a single day. The targets were also required to be fairly harmless. Most ¡®D¡¯ class missions consisted of gathering some ingredients or taking care of some bothersome critter. ¡°These only pay fifteen to twenty bronze pennies,¡± Wolfe said to Tails after skimming several missions with squinted eyes. The Guild also charged those posting with the amount of board space they used up. As such the font the requests used was tiny to the point of being barely legible, especially the requirements. ¡°Are these all the missions available?¡± Wolfe sounded skeptical as he asked the man behind the counter. He expected small missions to start out with, but some of these were just silly. One of them even requested Adventurers to help water plants. Surely there were some more fitting quests for them. Tails and Ort strode over to Wolfe and stopped behind him to read the requests. If Wolfe was discouraged then surely Tails would be all the more. ¡°Are these seriously ¡®D¡¯ rank missions?¡± Tails face attempted to look more disappointed but it could not. With their daily expenditure of around ten pennies, saving up enough for permanent licenses would take a fair number of quests. ¡°They aren¡¯t to your liking?¡± Asked the man jokingly. ¡°Yes indeed those are the most glorious of the ¡®D¡¯ class missions. There are some more inside but those are all the quests you will have access to with those cards.¡± He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°If you are struggling on affording the permanent ones can¡¯t you just beg your fathers for money? Surely they can still afford a couple of nickels.¡± He watched Ort¡¯s face but couldn¡¯t read anything from his vacant expression. ¡°Perhaps so,¡± responded Wolfe. Though their families might accept that arrangement they did not want to depend upon their families any longer. They desired to be independent. Free. None of them were willing to consider such a plan. Besides, saving up should only take them a month or so. Disappointing, yes. World ending, no. ¡°Well if they¡¯re all like this then I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter what mission we choose.¡± Wolfe let out a long sigh. Evidently Adventuring was going to be a longer road than he had originally thought. Oh well. He glanced at the scar faced man, ¡°We can just select any of these right? No more rules blocking us?¡± ¡°Correct. But make sure you pick something memorable,¡± his rotting teeth flashed between his stretched lips, ¡°as this is your first mission.¡± ¡°Anything stick out Ort?¡± Wolfe asked. Ort rubbed his naked chin in a contemplative manner before speaking slowly, ¡°I think this mission is the best we will find.¡± He reached out towards a paper in the upper-right corner of the board and unpinned it to show Wolfe and Tails. They accepted it with full attention. ¡°What is it?¡± They asked nervously. Tails crossed his fingers hoping endlessly for something decent. ¡°A request to clean out an old mill located in the outer district. Evidently it has been infested by some rats.¡± Ort didn¡¯t sound excited, but then again he rarely did. Nonetheless, Ort really didn¡¯t sound excited. He never cared much for the stories unlike Tails and to a lesser degree Wolfe, but he still held some expectations. Despite its failings thus far it still remained a far better option for him than remaining in Malnore working with his family. This was his chance of freedom however lack luster it sounded currently. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Eh?!¡± Tails discovered that crossing his fingers did not help. ¡°Oh thats a fine first mission,¡± the man¡¯s voice carried through the room, ¡°similar to my first.¡± He chuckled once again but this time it sounded less like a death threat and more like an old man looking back on his life. Wolfe couldn¡¯t help but wonder how long ago that was. The man didn¡¯t look that old but he talked as if he was. He supposed it might be like Tails who always claimed to be an adult¡ª everyone believing themselves to be older than they are. Unless they are old. Then that¡¯s a different matter. Tails skimmed several other missions after crossing his toes too. Gather six waterlilies for one of the cities few medical houses. Sweep an abandoned warehouse south of the merchant district in preparation of its new owners. The rats started sounding better the more he read. At least with them there would be some action. ¡°How much are the rats paying?¡± ¡°Twenty-two pennies,¡± Ort responded. That number was on the high end of ¡®D¡¯ rank quests. At least of the quests on this board. Wolfe faced Tails and nodded his head. ¡°Alright then let¡¯s do it!¡± Despite the mission contents being as they were, it was still their first quest as Adventurers. Some small amount of energy returned to Wolfe¡¯s smile and voice. Ort and Tails agreed with another nod. ¡°Excellent!¡± Spoke the man. ¡°Please take that sheet with you and be prompt in your mission.¡± He motioned them toward the exit impatiently, he could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Lucky for him they obeyed this time having obtained what they had come for. They were now Adventurers, or mostly anyways. As they approached the exit he once more spoke out, ¡°When you finish the mission return to me for payment and record keeping. Good luck and good riddance!¡± He said with a smile. Wolfe turned back to him with his hand on the door, ¡°You never told us your name.¡± If they were going to be working together they might as well know what to call him. Certainly couldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Ah, no I didn¡¯t. Call me Mont please. Take care.¡± He returned his scarred eyes to his tall paneled desk scabbed with papers and began a rough sorting. Soon he had forgotten about the children. ¡°Mont, huh?¡± Whispered Wolfe as the door creaked closed, or mostly closed as the door didn¡¯t quite sit correctly on its hinges, behind him. The great city of Malnore was approaching high noon. In recent years, since the Burning Revolution, the air within the city limits had turned hazy and thick causing the sun to appear a smudgy red as if it were an oil painting. The red glow cast the entire city in a weird light. Their city had always been colorful and cheery with numerous colored tile roofs and everyone garbed in bright mannered clothing but now it was something else. The city looked foreign, even alien in nature. This was not helped by the great mushrooms towering above which had been planted by the Church once they had conquered the city. The mushrooms were the city¡¯s only vegetation and they had spread wildly. Though they ranged in size the largest of the mushrooms, Obedience, rose hundreds of feet above even the tallest of buildings and its cap shadowed entire city squares. Most of the city found itself buried beneath their expansive caps. The Church of Life worshipped these mushrooms as gods. Following the Revolution the Church had worked diligently to squash all the other religions within Malnore. Everyone was required to join them in their strange mushroom worship, and for some inexplicable reason everyone seemed happy to. The Church was without equal. The upraising had caused a tremendous amount of damage. Evidence of conflict existed everywhere one looked, from crashed in rooftops and collapsed walls to the shattered stones of the road network. Fire marks existed in several places but thankfully most of the buildings in central district, where the three of them lived and currently were, were constructed of stone and would not burn. Nonetheless there was a smattering of the charred corpses of the buildings which had burned. The damage within the central district of the city, separated from the outer district by the tall Wall which served to regulate the flow of traffic, was far less than the damage done to the outer district. The outer district was much poorer and hence had used wood far more often in construction and quite frankly this did not fair well in the Burning Revolution. Many of the residents of the outer district were now homeless and people piled into the remaining buildings like coach roaches. Tents had risen sharply in popularity. Despite this everyone within Malnore seemed to be smiling unendingly. Their rotting teeth reflecting red light could be seen everywhere one looked no matter the occasion. The whole scene was rather eerie from an outsider¡¯s standpoint though none of its residents seemed to notice the wrongness of it all. They were hardly even working on reconstruction efforts evidently happy enough sleeping on the hard ground without a ceiling to cover their heads. These years were inexplicably the happiest years in Malnore¡¯s long history. As always the streets bustled with people busy about their day. ¡°Shall we get going?¡± Asked Wolfe after reading the entirety of the request. They had already eaten this morning so they weren¡¯t yet hungry and they had plenty of time remaining this day. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s finish this quickly!¡± Tails¡¯s energy had surged to its level previous to his disappointment. His arms swung merrily at his sides and his eyes glowed with that strange light they normally did. ¡°Says here that the mill is located beneath the shadow of Servitude in the outer district. Somewhere along the Crimson River.¡± Servitude was another of the great mushrooms towering above the city. Though the city maintained addresses to be used in locating buildings landmarks tended to be simpler. The address system had never been too logical in structure and now that the city was in a mess it was even worse. ¡°That¡¯s not too far,¡± responded Tails. He moved to the front of the pack and began weaving his way through the crowds. This was one of the few occasions he appreciated his small size. Wolfe and Ort followed him closely though the swell of people buffeted them more. The crowds became thicker the further they went. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild and its vicinity was not too popular a destination but between them and the Wall Gate rested the merchant district. The merchant district was unsurprisingly always busy and always loud. ¡°Freshly baked loafs! One copper!¡± Shouted one salesmen. ¡°A full can of beans! Just two pennies!¡± Shouted another. Some salesmen tried grabbing ahold of Wolfe believing him to be fairly wealthy. Wolfe managed to slip out of their clammy reach before they could even offer their sales pitch though. The group continued to weasel their way through the streets mostly unabated until they finally entered the massive shadow of the Wall Gate. Here a long line lay in wait of which they voluntarily joined. Chapter 3: The Wall Gate Tails never did much care for waiting. Unfortunately lines rarely had the habit of offering alternatives. He had discovered over the years though that if he barely shuffled his feet forward, at the pace of the line¡¯s movement, he felt much less impatient than if he simply stood still. Thus he moved forward like a racing snail. The shadow of the Wall chased them hot on their heels as the red sun rose higher overhead. Thankfully the line was moving just fast enough to keep them in the cool shade else they would start sweating bullets similarly to those behind them. Its a wonder they didn¡¯t fall over from dehydration. ¡°What would our family¡¯s think if they heard we were hunting down a pack of rats?¡± Wolfe asked Ort. He imagined his father¡¯s potential expression with a rather dismal face of his own. Shortly after Wolfe¡¯s sixteenth birthday a few weeks ago, the three of them had decided unilaterally that now was the time to become Adventurers. After informing their parents of their decision they left their households to become independent. Ort chuckled. ¡°Nothing good for sure. How¡¯d your father take you leaving?¡± Luckily Ort¡¯s parents understood his desire to separate from the Sable family and respected his decision. Admittedly they weren¡¯t too pleased but at least they weren¡¯t angry. They had originally hoped that he would stay with them and help reclaim their family¡¯s lost honor but Ort had shown them long ago that he held no interest in doing so. Wolfe was another matter. He belonged to a long line of successful merchants. According to his family¡¯s tradition, when his father retired his first son Wolfe would replace him. As such Wolfe had long been in training to fill his father¡¯s shoes. Up until recently they had been quite pleased with Wolfe¡¯s progress and anticipated great deeds from him. ¡°Naturally he was furious.¡± Wolfe was at somewhat of a loss at what to do in regards to them. He had never intended to anger his family and he would by all means prefer to remain close with them but¡­ he wasn¡¯t sure that was an option anymore. ¡°Very furious,¡± he repeated with a shudder. Wolfe felt rather bad for his younger brother. He knew with some confidence that his family would disown him and erase him from their family tree leaving his younger brother as the new first son. Of course as the first son he would now be raised to replace their father. His brother had never been much of a people person though. As challenging and suffocating as Wolfe had found the atmosphere, his brother would only find it worse. Unfortunately Wolfe couldn¡¯t, despite his best attempts, find an alternative to improve the situation. He sincerely hoped his brother would turn out alright but Wolfe knew that he personally had no choice but to leave. Wolfe could not live chasing his father. ¡°That is unsurprising,¡± returned Ort. Ort knew that Wolfe was understating the situation but he left it as is. Ort had always seen fear within Wolfe¡¯s brown eyes whenever his father was mentioned. Tails was left out of the conversation. Ever since he could remember he had lived together with his grandparents. Perhaps because they had never had the energy to keep up with Tails, Tails was left free to do whatever he wanted. Tails had long ago decided that he would become an Adventurer. When he told that to his grandparents they neither seemed surprised nor worried for him. Instead they supported him in his decision. Tails¡¯s talent for magic was discovered around that time. Unfortunately they were a relatively poor family and couldn¡¯t afford a magic tutor to teach him properly. His grandparents did the next best thing and bought him some books on magic. Wolfe and Ort both knew what Tails¡¯s grandparents would say about him leaving¡ª ¡°So soon? Well alright, be safe.¡± If the three of them weren¡¯t such close friends, they might even be jealous of him. ¡°I¡¯m surprised how simple the class ¡®D¡¯ quests are though,¡± spoke Wolfe again. ¡°Who would¡¯a thought that we¡¯d be going to slay some rodents on our first day? I certainly wouldn¡¯t have.¡± A sigh escaped his lips. Tails looked up to survey their faces. ¡°It¡¯s just a start,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be doing something epic not too long from now.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Asked Wolfe amusedly. While he might be the main pillar of the group, Tails always worked hard to keep their spirits up. The line continued to move along readily. They were almost to the front now. Tails grew up mostly alone. He had never had many friends to play with and the few that he did always seemed to be busy. With an abundance of free time and the guidance of his grandparents, Tails discovered his love for reading. From that point on Tails spent most of his waking hours in Malnore¡¯s only library. That library happened to be one of the many casualties of the Revolution. Few books survived the burnings. Tails loved stories about Adventurers. They were among his favorite reads. Rather than books of histories and politics or finances and mercantile, Tails always read about the old legends. When Wolfe or Ort escaped their studies, Tails raced to meet them. They played games of hide n¡¯ seek, and tag, and card games until the sun hung just above the horizon. By then even Wolfe and Ort would hurt from keeping up with Tails¡¯s vibrance. When they collapsed, back against stone wall, panting heavily, Tails would stand before them as if nothing happened, still bouncing like a spring. Before long that leg motion transferred to his mouth and his mouth moved without pause for response. Tails spoke eagerly, eyes sparkling, of Adventurers and their grand quests, of slaying dragons, and fending off disasters. He talked about how many lives they saved with their noble and righteous actions and how others looked upon them as heroes, as knights in shining armor. Tails wanted to be an Adventurer like in the stories and he convinced Wolfe and Ort to dream of it as well. Freedom¡ª what they longed for. Tails persuaded them in the last couple years that they could become Adventurers, that it did not have to remain a dream. The two scoffed at the idea originally but slowly grew to embrace it as their home lives deteriorated further. Tails felt some responsibility for leading them unto this new path. While Wolfe and Ort expected little and hoped for freedom, Tails wanted questing to fulfill all their greatest desires. He did not want to disappoint or mislead his friends. He desperately prayed those books held truths. Wolfe opened his mouth again, ¡°It¡¯s always such a confusing sensation this breeze.¡± The three of them stood behind only six people. From here the outer district could be easily seen and, well, smelled. A gentle wind blew here continually to ensure that. ¡°The coolness feels so good but the smell¡­¡± No sewage system existed in the outer district, clogging the streets with unpleasantries. Tails chuckled and breathed deeply through his nose, ¡°You don¡¯t fancy the smell of nature?¡± He asked with his best intellectual air. ¡°Surely this must be the smell of death instead,¡± returned Wolfe. Like most residents of Malnore, the three of them never voyaged far from the city limits and only empty plains awaited them there. ¡°Nature is full of death. I doubt they bother to wear different perfumes.¡± ¡°Just wait ¡®till we reach the forests out west,¡± Wolfe rebuked. ¡°Then you¡¯ll see.¡± A land covered in trees, ridiculous. They had seen trees before, but a land covered in them? That seemed too crazy to be believed. They had only ever known these flat plains. Tails smiled at his enthusiasm. ¡°That will be quite something.¡± But my patience is wearing thin, he thought to himself, we¡¯ve waited so long. ¡°Speaking of waits though¡ª¡± ¡°Next,¡± called one of the two bored guards beside the Wall Gate. The guard who spoke was a blocky figure about Ort¡¯s height with a scratchy beard growing. He donned well-polished armor, which would undoubtable shine brightly if the sun happened to be shining upon him instead of the shade, and he stiffly held a spear about his own height within his left hand. The man¡¯s right arm was cut off at the elbow and his right ear barely remained. A short stump. Suitably his expression was glum. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The other guard wiped away the sweat beading on his forehead and sat down against the Wall. His only remaining eye appeared lifeless and dull and he precariously stretched his legs ignorant of the crimson skirt, the Army¡¯s uniform, covering him. Perhaps people would care if not for their current heat stroke. Malnore was at war with a southern nation. As every able bodied soldier was needed on the front lines, the soldiers remaining to guard the city all possessed severe injuries devaluing their combat use. Malnore was nearly void of capable men. Women outnumbered men drastically and found themselves needed in even traditionally male dominated businesses. Thankfully women were taking brilliantly to their new roles. Still, some jobs, like Adventuring for instance, severely lacked workers. Adventuring had long been in decline in popularity and the war only accentuated that point. Unfortunately the amount of guild work has not decreased comparatively. Monsters were not, after all, so inclined as to stop their assaults on man once society struggled. They never had much valued fairness. The increased demand for Adventurers has risen quest pricing though, leading more experienced Adventurers to be quite pleased with the whole situation. The Wall itself was constructed of large dark grey stone. The two guards waiting at the Gate, one of many such Gates leading out of central district, stood one at each side. In case of emergency they would signal up above for the Gate, and its massive iron bars hanging by tether, to be dropped closed. They signaled to either of the two turrets just further along the wall. Emergencies such as this though were nearly nonexistent. About the only thing these guards ever fought off was the call of sleep, and they commonly lost that war. A scarlet banner flowed slowly down the side of each turret beneath which was a solid wooden door. Wolfe and Ort stepped forward after being called. Tails skipped. ¡°There really needs to be a faster way through these lines,¡± sighed Wolfe. He wondered if a less popular Gate would be worth the extra travel. Ort nodded in agreement. ¡°You three together? What are you doing¡ª?¡± Tails skipped up to the man and hugged him. ¡°You smell worse than nature,¡± he noted with a grin. ¡°What the hell? Get off me!¡± He tried to wiggle free of Tails¡¯s grasp but failed. ¡°Hey, Ralf! Wake up!¡± He called to his companion who watched on in amusement. ¡°Ralf!¡± But Ralf made no signs of motion. Tails reached out to touch the man¡¯s spear. ¡°Quite a nice spear here,¡± he terrorized. Despite his troublemaking, Tails¡¯s face remained innocent and naive in its appearance as if he knew not what was wrong. The guard struggled harder and finally broke his arm free from the tight hug and moved to swing his fist at Tails. ¡°Damn brat,¡± he groaned. Tails released the man and stepped back, avoiding the punch. ¡°We¡¯re here on business for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild,¡± he nonchalantly pointed to the paper in Wolfe¡¯s hand. ¡°Thanks for letting us past,¡± he said with a slight bow before starting through the Gate. ¡°Wait! You can¡¯t just do that!¡± The guard¡¯s hoarse voice was nearly a shout. ¡°Stop!¡± He commanded. No one had ever been so outrageous to him in his time as a Gate guard. Tails obeyed turning back to face him, and then he spread his arms out again and skipped back as if to hug the scarred man once more. ¡°You still want more hugs?¡± He asked. ¡°No! Stop!¡± He shouted again and raised his spear to point at Tails though Tails ignored it and continued coming closer. Ralf spoke out, ¡°Hey, just let them through. Since when have you cared so much about this silly job anyways?¡± He shook his head while laughing. The Guards never found anything suspicious to report regardless. The man glanced in Ralf¡¯s direction then back at the approaching demon. ¡°Fine, you win! Just go¡­ Leave me alone.¡± He lowered his spear to the ground and turned partially back, keeping Tails in his peripheral, to the long line of people. Tails nodded, ¡°I knew you¡¯d understand!¡± He lowered his arms and strode through the Gate unblocked. Wolfe and Ort blinked at each other, clueless. Then they chuckled. ¡°Well, okay,¡± shrugged Wolfe. They followed Tails passed the guards. ¡°You know it¡¯s probably not wise to pull a stunt like that on armed men, right Tails?¡± Wolfe questioned loudly as he reached Tails¡¯s side. ¡°Eh whatever. I doubt they¡¯d be brave enough to stab an innocent fourteen year old,¡± he batted his glittering eyes towards them. ¡°Besides, the crowd was on my side!¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Wolfe said with a smile, ¡°but did he really smell that bad?¡± ¡°Really bad,¡± Tails responded immediately with an upturned nose. ¡°Much worse than these streets.¡± Central district resided on the only hill around on these otherwise flat plains. The Wall surrounded the base of the hill leaving the outer district on flat ground. The further away one travelled from the hill, the worse the city became. Originally clean stone streets became slicked with, hopefully, mud. The two story stone buildings were replaced by burnt remnants. Few houses stood intact, though ashes and partial walls marked where buildings once were. Colorful mushrooms, bright green, and red, and purple, and blue; sprouted all over the place. They matched well with the colorful sack clothes everyone wore out here. As if that amount of color was not enough, where the ground lacked the charred corpses of former housing, tents had arisen of their varying bright colors as well. Malnore made the rainbow jealous. ¡°Ooopss,¡± Tails screamed and raised his arms out to regain his lost balance. ¡°The rocks are loose out here,¡± he mumbled in explanation. Wolfe rolled his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s not your first time here. You¡¯re still stumbling around? Anyways,¡± he turned to the request paper, ¡°Servitude should be over this way.¡± Wolfe lead them off the main street into a narrow alleyway. The alleyways linked the main streets together, which could be found at regular intervals, as if in a spider web. They shuffled through mud surrounded by ash. Soon Servitude entered their vision, a pale violet monstrosity towering overhead. They entered into its murky shadow and continued until they came across the Crimson River. Supposedly the Crimson River once ran red with blood but now it ran brown. Perhaps the River shimmered red at sunset, but that was hours away and the three of them couldn¡¯t be bothered to care. ¡°Now where do we go?¡± Asked Tails. ¡°Hmmm, let¡¯s ask somebody I suppose¡­¡± Chapter 4: Is This the Place? ¡°Ask directions?¡± Scoffed Tails. ¡°No real man asks directions!¡± Sarcasm drenched his voice like the mud drenching his boots. ¡°Then its a relief you are still a child Tails,¡± Wolfe reminded. ¡°You can do the asking for us!¡± The three of them exited the alleyways onto the main street running parallel with the River. Fitting to its name, the Crimson River might well be called the lifeblood of Malnore, supplying the city with both water and trade. Naturally then the cobble street beside it was both wider and better kept than streets elsewhere in the city. Of course the crowds expanded proportionally too. Folks pushed and shoved; kids screamed and hollered. Occasionally caravan guards could be seen clearing paths for cattle-pulled wagons bearing wheat, flax, salt, and various other valuables. Rarer still, if one paid close attention, children might be spotted darting toward the wagons and pocketing some of the ingredients before blending back into the crowd. ¡°We should go for a swim later,¡± cried Tails over the ambiance of shuffling feet. They stuck to the bank of the road closest to the alleyways and away from the water¡ª the less busy side. The River could be neither seen nor heard from here. ¡°If we have time,¡± Wolfe shouted. The street swayed and turned in accordance to its River guide. Within a few intersections they happened across an old man with a hunched back collapsed against a soot wall begging loudly. ¡°Just a penny, please!¡± He sobbed to deaf ears. ¡°Any job! Just a penny please!¡± His stomach bowed in against his rib cage testifying to his desperation. A cloth bag, one formerly used to hold flour, covered him¡ª a hole cut out for his arms and head. A string held it tight around his waist barely maintaining his modesty. Wolfe steered them towards the beggar. ¡°Just a penny, please! I¡¯ll do anything!¡± The man continued on, not registering their approach until their shadows overlapped his. He glanced upwards, dreadful eyes widening and back straightening in shock, then bent back over raising his arms to cover his head. ¡°No!¡± He wept. ¡°Don¡¯t beat me. Not again.¡± His face scrunched up in fear and though he appeared to be crying, no tears flowed. ¡°Don¡¯t beat me¡ª¡± ¡°Relax,¡± Wolfe interrupted the beggar¡¯s moaning, ¡°we aren¡¯t here to hurt you.¡± He knelt down before the man, staining his britches black, leaving the beggar plenty of breathing space between them. The man looked Wolfe in the eyes, hope flaring. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to chase me from this corner then?¡± He questioned inquisitively from between his protective arms though skepticism still traced his features. ¡°Of course not. You were saying earlier that you¡¯d help anyone for a penny. Is this true?¡± Wolfe felt sorry for him. The beggar dropped his arms to his sides and lifted his back up again, adopting what he deemed a rather business-like posture. ¡°Work? Yes, work!¡± His eyes glittered. ¡°What would you have me do?¡± He asked with a voice like a child¡¯s. ¡°Work, work!¡± He whispered to his feet. Wolfe grinned at his enthusiasm and showed the beggar the mission sheet. ¡°Do you know where this abandoned flour mill is located? It shouldn¡¯t be too far from here¡­¡± Wolfe peeked back at the road as if to search its course, but the flood of individuals blocked his sight. ¡°Yes, yes,¡± the beggar said, ¡°work, work.¡± He snatched the sheet from Wolfe¡¯s fingers, much to the latter¡¯s surprise, and brought the paper to his nose, breathing in deeply. ¡°Flour mill?¡± He asked tilting his head to the side. ¡°But this is paper?¡± He whispered to his feet. ¡°Do you know where this mill is?¡± Repeated Wolfe with a sigh. The beggar gazed into Wolfe¡¯s murky eyes and dropped the paper to the floor. He shuffled further away from them and pointed his thin arm downriver. ¡°Whirly twirly that way.¡± He continued shuffling backwards until he almost disappeared into the shadows. ¡°That so?¡± Asked Wolfe raising his voice. ¡°Then here¡¯s your penny!¡± He flicked it through the air and it clattered against the stone floor besides the man. ¡°Thanks!¡± The man jumped atop the coin like a famished beast eagerly seizing his prey in both hands. Then he bit it hard with his ghastly yellow teeth, or what remained of them, and fled. ¡°Well that was weird,¡± summarized a shocked Tails. ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not made of bronze.¡± Ort nodded. ¡°That man feels dangerous.¡± ¡°Eh, whatever.¡± Wolfe dusted off his knees, snatched the paper from the ground, and stepped back onto the road. ¡°You think a man as scared as him could assault somebody?¡± ¡°A crazy man can do many things,¡± responded Ort contemplatively. ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing we paid him!¡± Wolfe grinned, ¡°Now let¡¯s get going!¡± ¡°We¡¯re just going to trust him?¡± Quizzed Tails following behind. ¡°He hardly seemed to understand what we were asking¡­¡± ¡°We hardly have anything else to go on here, so yes. We will trust him. Besides, could a man who calls a watermill a ¡®whirly twirly¡¯ be lying?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ask somebody else. They¡¯re desperate for coin out here.¡± ¡°Relax you two. If you can¡¯t trust some deranged maniac, then just trust me¡­ What¡¯s the worst that can happen anyways?¡± Wolfe shrugged. ¡°We turn around and our feet get sore?¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± groaned Tails, ¡°But if we¡¯re doing this for you, surely you can go swimming for me.¡± Tails¡¯s signature smile reappeared. Wolfe froze for a moment looking at him¡ª ¡°You couldn¡¯t have planned this could you have? Me owing you a favor?¡± ¡°Hmmm? Of course not!¡± Wolfe sighed deeply and then breathed in. Manure, he thought. ¡°We should have asked that man how far it was¡­ Oh well.¡± They wiggled across the crowds onto the river side of the street. A fair leap from here would land, or perhaps sink, them in the water. Some barges floated upriver pushed against the current by unfortunate souls prodding the ground with long poles. Properties lined the opposite shore, a disproportionate amount of them still intact. ¡°Is that a bridge there?¡± Squinted Wolfe. A blur crossed the waters up ahead though it was too far away to make it out clearly. If the mill were to be around here, it would be on the other side. ¡°I think so,¡± replied Tails while zigzagging. The blur solidified into a solid stone construct of rather impressive architecture, especially considering the desolate fields around them. The bridge curved semi-circularly over the waters made up of numerous carved trapezoidal stones. No support pillars invaded the River so as not to block the barges below. The bridge appeared designed for longevity. As they approached the base of the bridge the horde of people became a whirlpool of chaos. Tails quickly tucked behind Ort who cleared a path for him. ¡°Thanks,¡± Tails told him. ¡°No problem,¡± Ort replied. The bridge stones were massive and undoubtably very heavy. It¡¯s a wonder the shore supported their combined weight, but it did so solidly. The dull thud of feet against stone thundered through the air. Quickly the three of them crossed onto the other shoreline. Here the crowds thinned out greatly, much to their relief, though they still remained to some degree. Nonetheless, they could now walk freely again. ¡°So we¡¯re just going this way until we run into some sort of mill?¡± Tails asked absentmindedly watching the surroundings. He didn¡¯t care regardless¡ª they would get there eventually he knew. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Yep,¡± Wolfe replied in short. They continued on, their pace swift with a child¡¯s eagerness, passing numerous others who dawdled about drenched in sweat. The sun had since reached its peak and begun lowering in sky. The hottest part the day. No birds flew overhead. At times they walked in silence and others Tails would find a rock to kick along, but soon enough they found a mill with its waterwheel turning. Wolfe paced up to its front door, polished wood, and knocked. ¡°Anyone there?¡± He yelled. Earlier when the beggar had dropped his quest sheet, the address had been blotted out leaving Wolfe unsure if this was indeed the correct building. Not that it mattered much, this mill was missing its address. Before the building lay an empty courtyard separated from the street by a flimsy fence. The mill itself appeared dated, possessing two floors the lower of which built by stone, the upper by lumber. The stone base likely kept the building from burning down a few years ago. ¡°Hello!¡± Screamed Wolfe again. They waited for a few seconds¡­ ¡°We¡¯re coming in,¡± he shouted when no response came. He reached towards the door handle confidently¡ª then the door swung open on its own, screeching on its hinges. Wolfe leapt back in surprise. ¡°Who are you?¡± Questioned the muscular man who appeared inside the door frame. ¡°What do you want?¡± He continued. The man looked impatient though not angered. Nonetheless, his size and demeanor felt threatening; his arms crossed, eyes looking down upon them. Wolfe blurted, ¡°Sorry!¡± He lowered his head slightly in apology. ¡°We are from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild,¡± he explained, ¡°and we¡¯re on a quest to clean out an abandoned flour mill in this area¡­ We thought this might be it.¡± ¡°I see,¡± the man nodded understandingly, ¡°but this mill is not abandoned, just quiet today as you can see.¡± Wolfe flinched subtly when the man lowered his hands to his sides. Recovering he asked, ¡°Do you know where our flour mill is, by chance?¡± The man¡¯s head bobbed, ¡°Not by chance, but yes I do.¡± He cranked his head to the side, towards downriver the direction they had been previously traveling in. ¡°It¡¯s that way a few paces. The next mill over. Looks much like this one.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Wolfe said, ¡°We¡¯ll be going now.¡± ¡°Fair well then.¡± The man turned and closed the door behind him, slamming it shut, without further ado. ¡°Told you, didn¡¯t I?¡± Said Wolfe spinning about, ¡°That crazy beggar was telling the truth! You really need to trust me more you know¡­ My instincts are never wrong!¡± ¡°Blind luck,¡± replied Tails merrily. ¡°Odds were fifty-fifty.¡± ¡°Perhaps so,¡± Wolfe grinned, ¡°but he was still correct!¡± Wolfe promptly guided them back onto the road and proceeded down its course until they happened across the next mill. In total the journey from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to here lasted most of two hours. Plenty of sunlight left in the day. The disposed of flour mill was designed exactly like the last one with two levels: one of stone, one of plank. There was even the same fence in front of the courtyard, though much of it was knocked down. They must have been built around the same time period. ¡°Should be this one then,¡± said Wolfe, ¡°if that man wasn¡¯t lying.¡± He stepped up to the door, unpolished and aged, and shoved on it. The door groaned under the weight but this time remained steadfast, blocked by something from the inside though the knob itself was unlocked. They could probably slice through the door, as rotten as it was, though Wolfe preferred not to use his blade in such a manner. ¡°Hey Tails! Is there another way in?¡± He asked. Obediently Tails wandered around the side looking for a secondary door. The mill was rather large in size, in both depth and width. The wooden upper half of the building was decrepit and there was a hole dug beneath the back wall. ¡°Yes,¡± Tails shouted, ¡°A large entry over here! A bay door!¡± He attempted to lift the door open but failed. ¡°Appears to be locked.¡± Wolfe and Ort walked around the corner over to him. ¡°For loading and unloading things, huh?¡± Wolfe deduced. ¡°Course they can¡¯t just make it easy on us and keep things unlocked.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Tails agreed, ¡°and there¡¯s another special entrance just for you Wolfe! Right over here! Come one, come all!¡± Tails showed them behind the building, pointing to the rodent¡¯s tunnel. ¡°Think you could fit?¡± Tails asked while scratching his head as if calculating. ¡°I certainly couldn¡¯t, but you might! Shall we try?¡± Wolfe asked amidst stepping behind Tails to block his retreat and grabbing firmly onto Tails¡¯s bony shoulders. Wolfe whispered into his ear with a maniacal grin, ¡°You are the smallest of us after all.¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Tails wept, ¡°I¡¯m good, I¡¯m good. But shouldn¡¯t we block this hole with something to prevent animals from going in and out?¡± He tried to change the subject. ¡°I suppose it couldn¡¯t hurt.¡± Wolfe released Tails and then bent down and plucked up a few stones from the ground around him and tossed them carelessly into the hole. After a few moments he stood back up. ¡°I¡¯d like to think that¡¯d be enough.¡± He shrugged then turned to Tails who had backed away from him, ¡°Yes?¡± Tails pushed some mud into the hole then nodded. ¡°Good enough.¡± ¡°No other door?¡± Wolfe asked hopeful. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°¡­Looks like we¡¯re going to have to break in¡­¡± Wolfe breathed out then took a deep breath in and repeated, calming himself. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope this is the right mill this time.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Never thought Adventuring would involve breaking into buildings. I almost feel like a thief.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure things will get better from here!¡± Tails said optimistically. ¡°It¡¯s not like it can get any worse after all,¡± Wolfe replied pessimistically. Tails choose to overlook his comment. ¡°The lock on the bay door sounded rusty.¡± He recommended. ¡°If both you and Ort lifted at the same time, you might be able to break it open.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Wolfe agreed, ¡°Worth a shot!¡± They strode over to it and both got into position, each firmly holding a handle on the door. ¡°Ready?¡± Tails asked supervising them. They nodded in affirmation. Tails began a count down¡ª ¡°Three, two, one¡­ Now!¡± He yelled and they tugged. A sharp clanking sound boomed on the other side of the door but the door remained steadfast. ¡°Aaannd, failed.¡± Announced Wolfe. ¡°It¡¯s not budging. You¡¯re right the lock is rusty but the front door will be easier.¡± ¡°Worth a shot,¡± Tails told him. Ort patted Tails on the back before following Wolfe around front. This time he tried the door and leaned against it with all his might. The door wanted to move, but couldn¡¯t. ¡°How do we do this?¡± Ort asked calmly. ¡°Let¡¯s give it one big shove,¡± Wolfe rolled his shoulder around and acted out the part, fake ramming his side against door. ¡°Just like that, except, well, you know¡­¡± Ort nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± He positioned himself and glanced back to the watching Tails. ¡°Begin the countdown.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± He said. ¡°Three, two, one¡­ Now!¡± Chapter 5: A Pack a Day to Keep the Doctors Away? *BAM* The door shattered inwards relinquishing Wolfe and Ort into the inky blackness awaiting them. Momentum carried them forward a few uncertain steps until a pole, what had been previously blocking the door, tripped them unceremoniously onto the floor. ¡°Owww.¡± Wolfe groaned limbs sprawled out. Tenderly he rolled onto his back, hand massaging his face. ¡°That hurt.¡± Tails meandered after them calmly eyeing the chaos beyond. The darkness was pierced by strands of light from the rotting ceiling above providing a small amount of illumination. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± he said. He spotted no movement. The watermill revolving outside had since been disconnected and, as Tails saw, most of the machinery from in here removed. Still the bits and pieces, gears and levers, belts and odd contraptions that remained filled up the majority of the visible space, both on the ground and in the air. *Whewww* Wolfe whistled. ¡°It¡¯s dusty in here.¡± Ort, standing up, wiped his index finger along a conveyor belt. ¡°It¡¯s not all dust,¡± he corrected. ¡°Then what is it?¡± Wolfe leapt onto his feet, forming a shimmering white cloud in his wake. Ort coughed, twice, then said ¡°Flour.¡± Wolfe shrugged. ¡°Well this was a flour mill after all. Makes since.¡± He quickly scanned the room before asking, ¡°But where are the rats?¡± He still felt nervous over the possibility of breaking into the wrong mill, though this one had long been abandoned so no one would care. Probably. Tails followed the right wall with his hand, circling around most of the junk. ¡°There are some barrels in the back here.¡± He called to them. ¡°Roughly fifteen by the looks. Some rat droppings around them.¡± Wolfe and Ort paced over to him, ducking and weaving through the obstacles. The barrels were stacked in two levels nestled by a corner. The tunnel leading outside, now filled in, resided besides them. ¡°That looks promising,¡± stated Wolfe. Wolfe approached a barrel and yanked the lid off¡ª another cloud of white¡ª revealing its powdery contents within. Flour. Half full. Ort copied his example removing a lid, though more tenderly so, to peek inside. Flour. Quarter full. He rolled it off to the¡ª *Squeak!* In the barrel Wolfe now peered into lay a rat upon its back, belly side up and limbs stretched contentedly. Immediately upon discovery the rat, a monstrous entity nearly half-a-meter long, bolted upright out of its laze, muscles tensing beneath its flour covered fur¡ª it dove through a hole scratched into the side of the barrel, squeezing itself through. The rat raced off into the darkness before Wolfe managed to react, towards the tunnel, flour dusting off its silky coat into a trail. Wolfe¡¯s eyes lit up at the encounter. Swiftly he unholstered his dull iron sword and chased after his prey, who itself upon reaching its sealed escape seemed surprised, its startle allowing it to be easily cornered. Ort and Tails followed after Wolfe, along the flour trail, attempting to block the rat in, closing off its potential escapes. Wolfe stood at the forefront, sword in hand, Ort slipped in besides him, Tails behind, watching the rat process the events and, feeling threatened¡ª *SQUEAK!*¡ª a call of desperation before facing its trappers. The rat hurled itself forward, towards Wolfe¡¯s knees, mouth open revealing long, pearly teeth dripping in saliva to which Wolfe dodged backwards and slashed down. The rat collided, unable to dodge in the air, with the blade to a dull thud, not the piercing of the rat¡¯s coat nor the breaking of its bones, only enough to sway the lunging beast off trajectory collapsing it onto the ground and forcing the air out of its lungs. A shiver ran across Wolfe¡¯s sword, up to his hands numbing them in part. *Squeak* cried the shadows surrounding them as the darkness swirled into motion coalescing into the forms of five more rats, anger in their beady, hungry eyes. The lone rat before them¡ª *Squeak!* in response¡ª hobbled back onto its feet and eyed them intelligently, waiting for its brethren to act. Ort swirled into motion first, turning about foot, leaping forward swinging at the nearest beast which pressed itself against the ground hoping to avoid his reaches, but received a gash nonetheless. A sickly pale blood escaped its wounds, mixing with flour and dripping like glue onto the floor. Another rat dove, from Ort¡¯s blind spot, at his left ankle bearing its long, gleaming teeth like a scythe¡ª Tails raised his hands toward the charging rat, visualizing a vertical glassy lake like surface and condensing his mana into its plane to form a protective surface that the rat battered against. Cracks spread out across the hasty sheet and it shattered like thin ice, the noise alerting Ort to the rats existence and buying him vital time to slide his foot around and wave his sword backhanded into the rats thick neck carving through its skin and muscle and cracking its spine, laying the beast immobilized. Wolfe dashed forward towards the original rat screeching by its lonesome, the rat rushed him in return lurching towards his right hip which Wolfe rounded lithely and batted the rat, its neck crunching, towards its vengeful companions. Two of the remaining uninjured rats, gaining a newfound caution, deemed Tails to be the weakest of the three and, one on each side of Tails, raced for his heels. Spotting the movement in his peripheral, Tails dashed forward towards Ort¡ª who himself was dispatching the previously injured rat¡ª and, with the beasts gaining on him, again he imagined a sheet of ice casting his magic into a plane, horizontal this time, behind him. The rats ran onto his magic without hesitation and, with Tails lowering the friction of the smooth surface, he tripped them into an uncontrolled slide, losing their legs out from under them and gaining Tails distance. He dashed past Wolfe and Ort, who both turned to intercept his pursuers, and positioned himself defensively behind them, standing besides the original tunnel, ready to support them if needed. The first of the two rats promptly switched targets, leaping with its mighty hind legs at Ort¡¯s unguarded chest making it half-way before Ort maneuvered his shield before him and bashed earthward¡ª skull clanging hard against the metallic shield. The rat collapsed, dazed upon collision, and Ort¡¯s left shield-bearing arm stung, but he ignored the pain swinging his gleaming sword, blood flicking off it, down into the rat¡¯s neck severing it completely. The second rat ignored the guarding Wolfe instead slipping between his wide set legs reaching behind their defensive line, still aiming for Tails¡ª Wolfe spun around in chase and kicked at the rat, the rat eluding the swift foot by ducking beneath it and¡ª Tails noting the situation calmly formed another magic barrier, thicker this time¡ª banged against the shimmering magic blocking its progress allowing Wolfe to slice the beast¡¯s midsection and fling it against the wall where it dropped limp. *Squeak?* cried the last remaining rat, the smallest one, sounding a mixture of both confused and morose. The rat turned its sad beady eyes upon its brethren, appearing ready for tears, before hesitantly turning around and hopping hopelessly towards the sunlight of the front door. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Wolfe and Ort chased after the rat, dodging the bits and pieces of machinery which slowed them far more than the escapee who was slowly gaining distance from them. Unfortunately for the rat, Tails possessed magic. Pointing his arms before it, he visualized thorny vines clawing free from the earth and entangling the fleeing thing. Tails granted his vision the remainders of his mana and the vines came alive. Instantly the rat found itself caught, thorns burying into its skin as it continued to struggle in vain. Pale rosy blood dripped down the thorns onto the ground puddling. *Squeak¡­* lamented the thing still moving despite the pain, begging to live on another day for sake its fallen friends. The struggle only served to deepen the thorns claim. Wolfe finally reached the rat. He lifted his blade, appearing like an executioner, and swung down upon its feeble neck. *Bang* they collided throwing the rat free from the thorns and against the stone wall. Feeble and nearly dead but free, it tried dragging itself forward towards the light leaving a trail of blood beneath it. Wolfe approached again, gazing down upon it from on high and waved his dull sword into its gut, *CRACK* the ribs sounded. ¡­ *Huff, huff, huff* the three young Adventurers panted and collapsed onto their rumps, grasping after their lost breath. Their first quest was now complete, awaiting being turned in, though fatigue batted down their sense of accomplishment. ¡°Well that was¡­ more exciting than¡­ I¡¯d expected,¡± Wolfe broke the silence. ¡°Never thought¡­ killing rats¡­ would wind me.¡± Ort chuckled between breathes, ¡°My father would be¡­ ashamed¡­ if he saw that.¡± He picked up his sword and shield lying on the ground beside him and dutifully returned them to their positions on his back. ¡°Only rats¡­ we have¡­ a long ways¡­ to go¡­¡± moaned Tails. *Hhuhhh* Wolfe wobbled to his feet. ¡°Do they¡­ require proof? The guild?¡± He asked Tails. ¡°Does the request sheet¡­ say anything?¡± ¡°Ugh, the request sheet,¡± he unfolded it from his pocket. ¡°Doesn¡¯t appear to. And Mont didn¡¯t mention anything.¡± ¡°Well it doesn¡¯t hurt to be safe,¡± Tails responded stretching, ¡°Let¡¯s collect their ears to be sure.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± They gathered the rats for Ort who carefully removed one ear from each and stuffed the bleeding bits into his pocket for safe keepings. After stretching the three of them exited the mill, only noticing the copious amounts of flour covering them once they stepped out into the light. ¡°Do you still want to go for that swim, Tails?¡± Wolfe asked. ******* Tails kicked the Guild¡¯s door inwards revealing a tall plank desk behind which Mont dozed. Red light leaked in through a crack in the ceiling granting the dull room a warm glow. Smiling pleasantly, Tails, with his hair still dripping wet, lead Wolfe and Ort up to the desk. Their movement stirred Mont from his light slumber and he unenthusiastically lifted his head. The man grimaced and blinked several times to clear his dreams from his eyes before recognizing the youths before him. ¡°Vale?¡± He asked questioningly, ¡°You¡¯re back so soon?¡± The man glanced at what little of the skies he could see as if to check the time. ¡°The sun¡¯s almost down now,¡± Wolfe answered, ¡°we finished our little quest hours ago.¡± He placed the mission details onto the desk and Ort set the severed ears besides that. Mont rubbed his scarred face with his calloused hands before taking the paper to skim the details. He sighed. ¡°Well, sounds good to me.¡± He busied himself with the clinking of coin beneath the table surface, counting out the twenty-two penny reward. ¡°Speaking of which, how¡¯d you enjoy your work? Your very first quest?¡± His intrigue was genuine, ¡°Was it memorable?¡± The three glanced around at each other and laughed. ¡°Very memorable.¡± Wolfe grinned widely. ¡°Surprisingly so in fact¡­¡± Mont surveyed them slightly confused. ¡°Well I¡¯m jealous,¡± he said, ¡°It appears you had a much better time than I did today. Oh well, at least I avoided the swim. Never did much like the water.¡± ¡°But swimming is so much fun,¡± interjected Tails. ¡°Perhaps for you,¡± he replied. ¡°Anyways, here¡¯s your profit. Twenty-two hard earned bronze pennies.¡± He pushed the clattering coin across the desk towards Wolfe. ¡°Strange though,¡± the man added, ¡°these don¡¯t look much like rat ears to me¡­ Too large I¡¯d say.¡± ¡°Yeah? Well these rats had been bulking up on flour for quite a while by the looks of them.¡± Wolfe shrugged the comment away. Nothing they could do. ¡°Speaking of which, did we need to bring the rat ears in with us? For proof, you know?¡± ¡°Did I not tell you to?¡± Mont searched them reading their ¡®no¡¯ from their expression. ¡°Oops,¡± he said, ¡°Must have slipped my mind¡­ It happens from time to time, I¡¯m sorry. But yes, it¡¯s a good thing you did. You only needed to bring back one rat ear though.¡± The man smiled somewhat shallow. ¡°Better safe than sorry.¡± Wolfe dropped the pennies into his pant¡¯s pocket and turned to the exit. ¡°Will you be here again tomorrow?¡± He asked Mont. The man grumbled below his breath then nodded. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve nothing else to do anyways.¡± He rolled his eyes and chuckled cold and grinding. ¡°Then see you early.¡± The trio left, the door banging behind them closed. ¡°Huh,¡± Mont cursed his fate once more before slumping over and returning to sleep. The cobble streets of central district had quieted down now that the sun hung scorching red just above the flat horizon. Most folks had finished their daily bouts and families reconveyed in their living quarters to pass the night away. Lantern light increasingly filled the quickly darkening cityscape casting their odd shadows throughout the city. The three of them walked in silence listening to the sound of their own footsteps and the echoes of distant laughter. Their day had been long and weariness called out to them entrancingly, though not yet as loud as their stomach¡¯s grumbling. They passed through several alleyways, dark and dingy, before returning to a main street which they followed to the inn, Five Heads Inn, where they had been staying.