Unearthing Greatness (2)

Again I'm left alone in an abandoned building. Well, not entirely abandoned, but enough to make me feel uncomfortable. It's as if I'm watching this whole organization die.

I take note of what people are wearing and their behavior. Most have on light leather or partial plate armor and seem pretty distressed. The condition of their equipment is only a step above deplorable.

"I'm back!" Ashley beams.

"I can see why you were so hesitant to have me join, everyone around here is broke and miserable." I motion to the crowd of vagrants masquerading as Adventurers.

"Oh, no. That's not it. I was just worried about your safety."

"But they are all broke and miserable."

"Well, I think most Adventurers struggle to properly apply themselves. We have more than enough resources to help you improve."

"Like what?"

"Why are you asking me? Didn't you already read through the whole pamphlet?" She chides me.

"I just skimmed it to make sure there weren't any unexpected downsides; unexpected benefits on the other hand..." I trail off and raise my eyebrows at her to which she smirks back at me.

"We have training equipment behind the building that no one uses. I'm sure you could be more successful if you bothered applying yourself."

"Damn, my one weakness. Is there any way you could do all the work for me and I just reap the benefits?" I ask with a stupid grin on my face. She narrows her eyes at me but the smile never leaves her face.

"Just sign the damn papers." Ashley slaps a thin stack of forms down in front of me.

"Hey! I was just joking. No reason to get violent." I pick up the papers and begin working my way through them in mock offense, occasionally glancing at Ashley as if I was still upset with her. She quietly watches me with her head resting on one of her slender hands.

"How old are you really?" Ashley asks after a couple of minutes of our silent banter.

"Ten, probably."

"Are you not sure?"

"I know exactly how old I am, the question is why are you asking."

"I've never seen a child come in here and act the way you do."

"What do you mean?" I ask as I narrow my eyes.

"Well, you're observant. It only took you a moment to figure out the average lifestyle of an Adventurer in this guild."

"Anyone with eyes could see that."

"True, but not everyone does. Plus, you're clever. When you saw how poor they were you immediately looked for a different path. You were quick to make jokes in order to get me on your side as well."

"Maybe you're just easy?" I shrug. Ashley glares at me but the faintest remnants of a smile still hangs on her lips so I don't think I've crossed the line just yet. "Sorry, I'm just kidding. You were saying."

She holds her glare for several moments before continuing.

"And lastly, you changed up your behavior based on who you were talking to. I'm sure you could tell your little snide remarks wouldn't work quite so well on other staff members here."

"What exactly are you getting at?" I can't help but feel intrigued by her observations. There really wasn't any thought put into anything I did but I can't say she's wrong. Catherine, for example, doesn't seem like the type that would respond well to my "charm," if one were to call it that.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Nick."

"That's not what I'm asking."

"Then Maybe you're not asking the right question," I say as I hand the finished paperwork to her. Given her earlier reaction, I make sure to place the documents off to the side instead of handing them directly to her.

"And what is the right question?" Ashley gathers the documents and taps them against the table to organize them.

"It wouldn't be any fun if I just told you, now would it."

Ashley stares at me, searching for an answer.

"Welcome to the guild."

"Thank you, I look forward to working with you."

Ashley tentatively extends her hand toward me for a handshake but I don't follow suit.

"No need to push yourself, I can tell you aren't the hand-shaking type." This seems to have made her uncomfortable as she doesn't know how to respond. "By the way, how do I get to the training equipment?"

"Through those back doors," She says while pointing to the rear of the building.

"Thanks."

[That was a weird conversation]

I know, right? She's fun.

[Why did you say all that stuff?]

I don't know, I was just going with the flow. She seemed to respond well enough.

[So then what was the right question?]

Look, she obviously has some troubles at home, and based on the intensity of her reaction, I'd say some trauma occurred relatively recently. If she wants me to be some mysterious stranger to distract from her problems then I'm more than willing to do that.

[...]

I follow her instructions and step outside into a courtyard. A small pile of equipment is sitting inside a wooden shed.

I dig through the pile and find a number of sets of wearable weights as well as a parachute, but that's about it.

This is more than I should have expected but I can't help but feel disappointed.

I attach some of the lighter weights and run a few laps around the courtyard. My weak body aches from the exertion.

"It's not going to help." I look up to see Tyrion glaring at me as I finish my last lap.

"Thanks, that's all the motivation I need to keep going." I pick myself up and jog a very slow lap around the courtyard as my body threatens to give out.

"You're weak." Tyrion adds.

I drop the attached weights and jog another lap; I can't help but smile at the agony. As I finish, I glance over to Tyrion. He seems hesitant to push me any further. If nothing else, it buys me some time to catch my breath.

"What are you trying to accomplish?" He asks.

"At the moment I'm just trying to get on your nerves. That being said, have you ever considered a career as a motivational speaker?"

"Idiot." Tyrion sneers as he walks away. I'm really beginning to enjoy our back-and-forths.